Local News
Local News

As Braves’ opening day nears, SunTrust Park and The Battery spur optimism

March 31, 2017, Atlanta: Excited Braves fans David Swinehamer, his son Austin, 4, and wife Amber enter the gates for the first time for the MLB exhibition game against the N.Y. Yankees for the soft opening of SunTrust Park on Friday, March 31, 2017, in Atlanta. Curtis Compton/ccompton@ajc.com

Credit: ccompton@ajc.com

Credit: ccompton@ajc.com

March 31, 2017, Atlanta: Excited Braves fans David Swinehamer, his son Austin, 4, and wife Amber enter the gates for the first time for the MLB exhibition game against the N.Y. Yankees for the soft opening of SunTrust Park on Friday, March 31, 2017, in Atlanta. Curtis Compton/ccompton@ajc.com
By Meris Lutz
April 7, 2017

By the time some 40,000 fans arrive at SunTrust Park and The Battery for opening day April 14, most evidence of the scramble to complete the billion dollar project will be gone or hidden from view.

About half of the restaurants and stores that have announced partnerships with the team are expected to be open and operational, including the ones closest to the stadium, with the rest opening over the coming year.

The success or failure of the ballpark and The Battery, an adjacent mixed-use development owned by the team, could have far-reaching consequences for Cobb County.

READ MORE: Get the full story on MyAJC.com

About the Author

Meris Lutz is a contributing writer covering climate, the environment and the economy. She is particularly interested in stories that explore the intersections between climate change and labor, markets, health, biodiversity, government transparency and public access to natural resources.

More Stories

The Latest

Litigation against Ford Motor Co. over the deaths of Herman and Debra Mills after a crash in southwest Georgia in August 2022 included photographs of the couple's 2015 Ford F-250 Super Duty truck. Ford has settled the case after a $2.5 billion jury verdict. (Courtesy of the Mills family)

Credit: Courtesy of attorneys for Mills family

Ford settles billion-dollar Georgia lawsuits over fatal wrecks

City starts $3.8M resurfacing of key northwest Atlanta corridor

Gas line damaged after NW Atlanta car crash near King Plow Arts Center

Featured

In this file photo from October 2024, Atlanta Braves outfielder Jorge Soler and teammates react after losing to the San Diego Padres 5-4 in San Diego. The Braves and Soler, who now plays for the Los Angeles Angels, face a lawsuit by a fan injured at a 2021 World Series game at Truist Park in Atlanta. (Jason Getz/AJC)

Credit: Jason.Getz@ajc.com

A Braves fan took a ball to the face. The team may be liable, judges say.

The Atlanta Braves and former right fielder Jorge Soler face a lawsuit by a fan hit in the eye with a ball during a World Series game at Truist Park in 2021.

Joro spiders multiply across Georgia, spinning their pesky webs

The invasive species has multiplied rapidly in Atlanta in the last three years, research shows.

Ford settles billion-dollar Georgia lawsuits over fatal wrecks

Ford Motor Co. has settled two Georgia lawsuits that elicited record-setting jury verdicts of $1.7 billion and $2.5 billion, ending more than a decade of litigation.