Atlanta finally slapped a price tag on Turner Field. For just $30 million, Georgia State could call The Ted its very own Panther home.
On Aug. 18, the mayor announced the city had reached a deal with Georgia State, and real estate companies Carter and Oakwood Development, on the Turner Field renovation and the 67 acres around it.
President Becker said the university is awaiting the approval of the Board of Regents on the proposed plans for the baseball field.
But the plan calls for much more than renovating the new home of the Georgia State Panthers. The $30 million project aims to create a walkable area surrounding the field with shopping centers, residential areas, student housing, and work spaces, and bring a list of proposals in front of voters in November, including the plan to expand MARTA transit south of I-20.
Carla Smith, Atlanta Council member, said another component of the project will address affordable housing around the field as well. With funding from the Atlanta Regional Commission (ARC) and the city, a Livable Centers Initiative (LCI) study was initiated to address concerns of the baseball field’s neighbors and the issue of affordable housing throughout urban development.
“It’s a constant concern any time there’s a major redevelopment in the neighborhood, but when you upgrade a neighborhood the result is increased property values,” Hannah Palmer, LCI member. “A lot of people at the meetings we had were concerned because they currently pay $500 rent.”
We are investing $65 million in [implementing] green infrastructure in Peoplestown, to stop flooding,” Mayor Reed said on the topic.
According to Reed, the final plans of the site’s renovations will be in by December 2016, when the Georgia State Panthers take over.
This represents a promise kept to a community that remains strong despite daunting odds,” he said.
