Frank Wren, Atlanta Braves general manager, left, and John Schuerholz, Braves president, talk with Mike Plant, right, executive vice president of business operations before the start of a Cobb County commission hearing on a proposed plan to build the team a new baseball stadium in the county on Tuesday, Nov. 26, 2013, in Marietta, Ga.MARIETTA, Ga. – Cobb County commissioners took a big step toward building a new $672 million stadium for the Atlanta Braves Tuesday night.
The commissioners voted 4-1 to approve the entry into a memorandum of understanding with the baseball team at their meeting.
The deal calls for hundreds of millions of dollars in public funds to help pay for the stadium and entertainment complex. The 30-year agreement calls for a mix of reallocating existing property tax revenue and implementing new taxes on business and tourism in the area.
Commissioners have been holding town hall meetings to gather feedback on the proposal. A group called Cobb Citizens for Governmental Transparency had called on the commission to postpone its vote for 60 days to give residents a chance to learn more.
Tuesday night’s vote marked a major step toward the construction of the new Major League Baseball stadium and entertainment complex.