Cobb Business Groups Call for Stadium Vote

We just got this notice from Kara Cooper of the Cumberland Community Improvement District, which along with a number of business groups and other organizations is calling for a vote Tuesday on the proposed Atlanta Braves stadium by the Cobb Board of Commissioners. 

Over the weekend, a coalition of community groups from around the county asked for a 60-day delay in the vote. Commissioners JoAnn Birrell, Bob Ott and Lisa Cupid are having town hall meetings on the issue later today (times and locations here).

Among the signatories of the pro-stadium statement (see full list at the bottom) is East Cobb Baseball, a youth sports organization which has incubated the talents of former Braves Jeff Francoeur and Brian McCann and current Braves outfielder Jason Heyward.

Another youth baseball organization in support is Marietta-based 6-4-3 Athletics, whose instructors include former Braves pitching coach Leo Mazzone.

Here's the full text of the message we just got, explaining why the commission should not delay the vote:

The Cobb Chamber of Commerce, Cumberland CID, and The Coalition of Cobb County Business Associations, which collectively represent more than 7,500 businesses and individuals in Cobb County and more than 50,000 employees, OPPOSE ANY DELAY in the Cobb County Board of Commissioners vote on the Braves stadium.

This stadium and planned fan entertainment district will inject MORE THAN $1 BILLION into the Cobb and metro Atlanta economies. It will generate more than 9,000 jobs, $235 million in construction payroll and $60 million in ongoing operational payrolls. It will generate a minimum of $6 million annually in property and school taxes.

We urge the Commission to VOTE TUESDAY NIGHT AS PLANNED, because:

• Delaying puts the construction timeline and opening day schedule in jeopardy. The stadium and entertainment district will require a year to finance, design, and engineer, and then another two years to build. This is a tight timeframe.
• Polls taken last week show 98 percent of Cobb residents know about the project, and unbiased polls show that 61% are supportive.
• The financial terms of the deal have been available for 11 days for review on the Cobb County website, and there are three more public hearings on the issue where citizens can voice their opinions.

We acknowledge that there are some Cobb citizens and organizations who oppose this project.

We are also aware that there is at least one other community in the metro Atlanta area that OPPOSES THIS PROJECT moving forward in Cobb County. If you live in Cobb and have received numerous polls with negatively leading questions, you know this is a reality.

Cobb County leaders were RESPONSIVE to the Braves, and understand that delays cost at least one other community its chance to keep the franchise. As Cobb business and community leaders, we strongly believe this project will be beneficial to the Cobb economy, to Cobb citizens and to Cobb businesses.

WE BELIEVE THAT COBB COUNTY DESERVES A CHANCE TO WIN THIS PROJECT, AND THAT MEANS KEEPING THIS VOTE ON SCHEDULE.

Also signing on to the statement are the following groups: 

• Acworth Business Association
• Austell Business Association
• Vinings Business Association
• West Cobb Business Association
• Marietta Business Association
• South Cobb Business Association
• East Cobb Business Association
• Northeast Cobb Business Association
• Kennesaw Business Association
• Smyrna Business Association