The Turner Field Benefits Coalition will converge on this afternoon’s Atlanta City Council meeting to speak out against last week’s vote by the finance committee to convey the city’s ownership of Turner Field to the Atlanta Fulton County Recreational Authority, which will allow AFCRA to sell the property. The meeting begins at 1 p.m. at City Hall.
In a statement to the media, the Turner Field Benefits Coalition, which is made up of members and stakeholders in the neighborhoods surrounding the ballpark, said the land conveyance was taken without prior input from Neighborhood Planning Unit-V. The statement went on to say: “NPUs enable citizens to express ideas and comment on city plans and proposals while assisting the city in developing plans that best meet the needs of their communities. We are concerned that this legislation potentially allows the developer to sidestep the community input process established by the Neighborhood Planning Unit system, effectively disenfranchising this community and stripping the community of their voice.”
The city and AFCRA plan to sell Turner Field to Georgia State University and its development partners Carter and Oakwood Development for a mixed-use project with athletic facilities, dorms, hotels, retail, restaurants and housing. The Atlanta Braves will leave The Ted at the end of the year for it’s new home in Cobb County.