The Gwinnett Braves picked a name for their mascot: Chopper.

The name was unveiled during ceremonies at Lawrenceville Elementary School.

“We plan for our mascot to be a major representation of our team and our brand in the community,” Gwinnett Braves General Manager Bruce Baldwin said in an earlier press release. “For this reason, we wanted our community and future fans to be actively involved in the naming, origin and character of the mascot.”

Chopper is inspired by General Beauregard Lee, Ph.D., the groundhog star of the Yellow River Game Ranch in Lilburn and “Georgia’s Official Weather Prognosticator” fortelling the coming of spring.

The Richmond Braves season has ended and the club is in the process of moving to Gwinnett. A stadium is being built and should be ready by the time the new Gwinnett Braves play their first home game on April 17 against the Norfolk Tides.

The complete schedule is available here (in PDF).

The County Commission will vote soon on a 50% increase in the cost of building a stadium for the Gwinnett Braves. The breakdown of the cost increases are:

> $7.5 million to extend the concourse all the way around the stadium, put a canopy over part of the stadium and upgrade finishes

> $1.5 million to allow for the use of highly treated wastewater to irrigate fields and flush toilets, saving 5 million to 7 million gallons of drinking water a year

> $6.8 million to put the stadium’s storm water detention pond underground, remove unexpected rock, beef up retaining walls to maximize use of the site and increase the size of sewer pipes to deal with a longer-than-expected run to hook up with county facilities

> $1 million to account for increased material costs

> $2.2 million in management fees and other costs that are charged as a percentage of the overall contract

That the stadium will cost more is not a surprise, but a 50% increase over the original projections is quite astounding. Nevertheless Richard Tucker, Chairman of the Gwinnett Convention and Visitors Bureau doesn’t see what the big deal is. Tucker told the AJC:

“While it appears somewhat shocking I guess how big the increase is, it is not shocking to us,”

Tucker also told the Gwinnett Daily Post:

“This happens every day in the real estate business,” said Tucker, a developer. “You adjust to it and you do it. In this case, they are public funds, so we are even more careful.”

Richard Tucker is a smart businessman and you can’t tell me that he would simply smile and “just do it” if one of his developments suddenly cost 50% more than originally thought. Wouldn’t it make sense to step back and recalculate the viability of that project? Yet Tucker and others involved in this have no need to worry because the County Commission has absolutely no choice but to approve spending this money. The Richmond Braves are coming, opening day is next April, and the stadium better be ready. If Gwinnett were to back out now they would never get another shot at minor-league baseball.

Over time this will be forgotten and sure, I’m still excited about the Braves coming to Gwinnett, but the ease at which Richard Tucker and the others involved in the construction of the stadium spent an additional $19 million is mind-boggling. I guess it’s easy when it’s not coming directly out of your own pocket.

Win tickets to see Dave Ramsey Live at the Gwinnett Arena on September 13th. Click here to enter. Deadline for entry is Midnight Friday August 29, 2008.

Fun Stuff

The Gwinnett Braves want your help in naming their mascot. Read about it here.

Sports

Former Parkview High School star Eric Shanteau made it to the semi-finals of the 200m breast stroke at the Beijing Olympics but sadly no further. Another athlete with Gwinnett ties is in the Games. Former Norcross track star Jangy Addy will compete in the Decathlon for Liberia.

The Atlanta Silverbacks take on the Charlotte Battery on Saturday at Silverbacks Park. The match starts at 7:55 PM. You can watch the game live by clicking here.

Concerts/Music/Movies

The big event comes up on Monday August 18 as the American Idols Live tour rolls into the Gwinnett Arena. The concert begins at 7:00 PM.

Duluth has another installment in their “Flicks on the Bricks” series with The Waterhorse on Saturday the 16th at dusk.

Edwin McCain, Sam Thacker and Gareth Asher will perform at the Suwanee Town Green in a free concert on Saturday at 7:00 PM.

Two shows at Wild Bill’s in Duluth. Friday features Babe’s Bayou and Saturday Bill Gentry.

The Sweetwater Showdown continues this weekend at the Sweetwater Bar and Grill. Click here to see which bands are playing on Friday and Saturday.

Departure plays at Luby’s Bar and Grill on Friday night August 15th.

Atmosphere hosts Kush on Friday and Radio Cult on Saturday.

Theatre/Arts

Damn Yankee’s continues at the Aurora Theatre through September 7.

The Red Clay Theatre has a Saturday performance of Playing in Traffic

Folk Fest 2008 art show and sale takes place this weekend at the North Atlanta Trade Center in Norcross. Click here for details.

Connect/Contribute

Planning to attend one of these events or any other event that happens in Gwinnett? Let me know. Click here and fill out the form to tell us what happened.

You can follow Exurban Adventures on Twitter (click here) and become a fan (click here) on Facebook. Don’t forget to sign up for our RSS feed.

The Gwinnett Braves have picked a mascot and want your help in naming him.

Inspired by General Beauregard Lee, the well-known
weather forecaster that makes his home at the Yellow River Game Ranch in
Lilburn, the fuzzy, burrowing rodent was the first choice for the face of Gwinnett’s
own minor league team.

“We’re pretty pleased to be able to deliver something that has some local ties,”
Gwinnett Braves assistant general manager Toby Wyman said.

Wyman said the Gwinnett community didn’t have an opportunity to name the
team, as communities typically do when getting a minor league organization, but
naming the mascot may be the next best thing.

“The mascot, for us from the minor league standpoint, is a really important
representation of our brand and our team,” Wyman said. “It will be an
approachable, fun character.”

Contest entries can be submitted online at www.gwinnettdailypost.com or by mail
through Aug. 27. Three finalists will be selected by a panel of Atlanta and
Gwinnett Braves staff members and announced Sept. 1. An online poll will then
be conducted to determine the winning name, and voting will conclude Sept. 5.

Click here to submit your entry.

I stopped by the site for the new Gwinnett Braves stadium today and snapped a few photos of the construction so far.

Read more »

Sorry to break the news to the kids out there but school starts in less than a month. No need to worry as there’s plenty of fun stuff still to do – below are a just a few of them.

Remember we want your submissions. Use this form to tell us about the movie, concert or event you went to.

The Atlanta Silverbacks host the Portland Timbers at Silverback Park on Friday the 18th at 7:55 PM. Meanwhile the Gwinnett Braves inked a deal to broadcast 144 games on WDUN.

“WDUN 550 will be a great partner for us and we look forward to having them start the team’s new chapter in Gwinnett,” said Bruce Baldwin, Gwinnett Braves General Manager.

Current and longtime WSB radio sports director, Tony Schiavone, will be heard on all WDUN games as the play-by-play announcer. He will be joined in the booth with Judd Hickinbotham for all home games.

“Our affiliation with The Atlanta Braves goes back to 1966 and now to launch a new affiliation with The Gwinnett Braves to serve the growing Gwinnett – Northeast Georgia community is even more exciting,” said Jay Jacobs, President of Jacobs Media and WDUN Newstalk 550.

The Sports Car Club of America (SCCA) Regional will be at Road Atlanta this weekend. A schedule of events can be found here.

The Simon dTour comes to Discover Mills and the Mall of Georgia. On Saturday July 19, Kate Voegele will perform at Discover Mills from 3:00 – 9:00 PM. Then on Sunday July 20, The All-American Rejects will be at the Mall of Georgia from 12:00 – 6:00 PM.

The City of Duluth continues their Supergigs concert series with the New Rascals on Friday the 19th at 8:30 PM. Saturday the 20th Duluth’s Flicks on the Bricks series features the Princess Bride.

“Beauty And The Beast” is the latest production of the New London Theatre beginning Friday and running through August 3rd. Click here for more information on the New London Theatre.

Last week I interviewed talk show host and author Dave Ramsey about his Total Money Makeover LIVE event coming to the Gwinnett Arena on September 13th. Next week I’ll announce details of a ticket giveaway for this event and how you can enter.

You can follow Exurban Adventures on Twitter and become a fan on Facebook.

Over 5000 have signed a petition asking the Braves to reconsider the decision to move the Richmond Braves to Gwinnett.

It’s time to finally, for the first time as a city – as a region – to stand and be heard. We love our Braves. We want them to stay. It’s not too late for Atlanta to change it’s mind about moving OUR Braves. Let’s convince Atlanta that it’s beneficial for them to keep their developed fan base in Virginia. Despite our city’s broken leadership, we support our team staying for another 40 years.

I was on hand as officials from the Braves and Gwinnett County shoveled a little dirt at the site of the Gwinnett Braves stadium. The County has less than a year to complete the project, but officials say it will be done on time.

Here’s a photo of where the project stands right now. They’ve laid out where the playing field would be.

Click here for more photos.

Braves Star Jeff Francoeur was on hand and spoke to the media.

Here’s video of the speeches and other stuff.

The Gwinnett Braves unveiled their logo and uniform today:

The logos, unveiled Monday, are decidedly similar to those of the big league team, featuring the same scarlet and blue color scheme, the familiar Braves tomahawk and the script of the Braves name itself.

The only significant difference is that the team’s home caps will feature the letter “G” with a tomahawk poking through. Only the Atlanta Braves’ Sunday caps feature a tomahawk protruding through the letter “A,” according to Braves spokeswoman Beth Marshall.

The county and Braves unveiled the designs on a baseball field at Pinckeyville Park, where County Commissioner Bert Nasuti coaches baseball. Nasuti was instrumental in bringing the team to the county. Eleven- and 12-year-old members of two teams who play at the field donned T-shirts and caps to reveal the designs.

Gwinnett Braves merchandise in now in sale.

UPDATE: For pictures and video from the Groundbreaking, click here.

Stadium construction on schedule:

LAWRENCEVILLE – While a baseball diamond is already taking shape at the future home of the Gwinnett Braves, officials will hold a groundbreaking ceremony at 11 a.m. Tuesday for the anticipated minor league stadium.

“I think it’s a once in a lifetime opportunity,” Chairman Charles Bannister said of the stadium, which officials announced earlier this year. “This is yet another baby step in the right direction.”

A week ago, developers were granted the second permit for the construction on Buford Drive, between Old Peachtree Road and Rock Springs Road, north of Lawrenceville.

If you want to drink beer at a Gwinnett Braves baseball game on a Sunday next year you can do it:

Gov. Sonny Perdue has led the opposition to Sunday package store sales of alcohol, but he decided Tuesday that beer at the ballpark on the Christian Sabbath is OK.

Perdue signed legislation to let Gwinnett County sell beer on Sundays at its new baseball stadium. He also signed legislation into law allowing Georgians to buy wine over the Internet.

Carrie Underwood and Keith Urban have the second of two sold-out concerts at the Gwinnett Arena Friday night. Thursday afternoon a limited number of tickets became available for Thursday night’s concert. If more become available we’ll post it as soon as we hear.

The Tour de Georgia visits Suwanee Friday morning. Stage 5 starts at 10:00 AM and travels 133.4 miles to Dahlonega. Check out the Tour de Georgia Blog for more information and we’ll have a report of the day’s action in Suwanee.

Sadly, the Gwinnett Gladiators were knocked out of the Kelly Cup playoffs by the South Carolina Stingrays. Gwinnett fought back from a 2 games to none deficit but lost the decisive game 5.

The Georgia Force are on the road this weekend against the Arizona Rattlers. Tune in to 790 The Zone to listen to the game on Saturday at 7:00 PM.

The Atlanta Silverbacks host the Montreal Impact Friday at 7:55 PM. The game will be broadcast live on the Fox Soccer Channel.

The preliminary design of the Gwinnett Braves new stadium was unveiled.

It’s Fight Night at Wild Bill’s, Friday at 8:30 PM.

Be sure to visit Exurban Adventures often. We’ve got some great stuff planned for the upcoming days and weeks.

From the Gwinnett Daily Post:

DULUTH – From outside, Gwinnett’s baseball stadium could remind visitors of historic warehouses, according to preliminary design sketches revealed Wednesday to the Gwinnett Convention and Visitors Bureau board.

For the stadium soon to be under construction for the Gwinnett Braves Triple-A team, architects considered local baseball lore such as the former Ponce de Leon Park, where the Atlanta Crackers played decades ago, and the Bona Allen tannery, which provided jobs for the Buford Shoemakers baseball team.

“There are a lot of features that fans will like,” board chairman Richard Tucker said, referring to the historic touches. “(The plans) are sort of a work in progress, but the start is good.”

Gwinnett better get that stadium built because people are coming.

Richmond has the Atlanta Braves’ Triple-A franchise until season’s end. Then it shifts to Gwinnett County, Ga.

But it’s reasonable to assume that Gwinnett already has more season-ticket holders than Richmond, at least more pledged season-ticket holders.

The Gwinnett Braves have accepted about 1,200 non-refundable $100 deposits for 2009 season-tickets accounts, according to Beth Marshall, the Atlanta Braves director of public relations.

“That’s with really not doing any marketing, as of yet, in that area, which we are planning shortly,” Marshall said.

Also, the Richmond Braves are in 1st place with a 10-5 record so far.

The Gwinnett Gladiators swept the Charlotte Checkers to advance to the Division Semifinals. Gwinnett will face the South Carolina Stingrays. The schedule of the best-of-five series is:

Game 1: Friday, April 18th @ South Carolina 7:05 PM
Game 2: Saturday, April 19th @ South Carolina 7:05 PM
Game 3: Monday, April 21th in Gwinnett 7:05 PM
Game 4:* Tuesday, April 22nd in Gwinnett 7:05 PM
Game 5:* Wednesday, April 23rd @ South Carolina 7:05 PM

* if necessary

The Tour de Georgia makes a stop in Suwanee next Friday. Suwanee has a week’s worth of events leading up to the race.

The Georgia Force return to action by hosting the Orlando Predators Saturday the 19th at 7:00 PM.

The Atlanta Silverbacks start their season against the Carolina RailHawks on Saturday at 7:00 PM, and it’s Fan Appreciation Night:

Food service will begin five minutes after kickoff, and continue until approximately the match’s 60-minute mark. But don’t worry about missing a moment of the action on the field. Service stations will be conveniently located within view of the field.

Of course, snacks and beverages will be on sale throughout Silverbacks Park-which underwent more than $2 million in upgrades over the off season.

This year’s team looks to be the best to ever wear the red and black, with 13 returning players from last year’s stunning USL-1 finalist squad, along with several exciting off season acquisitions.

The Ferrari Challenge takes place this weekend at Road Atlanta.

Be sure to check out my interview with J.C. Bradbury about the Gwinnett Braves.

There more than just sports going on in Gwinnett as the Exodus … Leading the Way Gospel Concert takes place on Sunday at 5:00 PM at the Gwinnett Center.

The Gwinnett Arena will be busy next weekend as Keith Urban and Carrie Underwood play two shows on Friday and Saturday the 24th and 25th. Then Sunday the 26th Bill Gaither and the Homecoming Friends play the Arena.

Keith Anderson, Chris Young, The Lost Trailors perform at Will Bill’s Friday the 18th at 9:30 PM.

Spring is here which means cities in Gwinnett have festivals. Norcross is holding it’s first ever Spring Festival:

The day’s festivities will begin with the Corners to Crossing 10K, which will start at the Peachtree Corners YMCA and end at Thrasher Park in Historic Downtown Norcross. After the race, we will be having a music festival in Thrasher Park beginning at 10:00 a.m., and will feature several local middle and high school bands. Along with the school bands there will be food vendors, a clown circus, games, rides and much more entertainment, all at the park.

I spoke today with J.C. Bradbury who’s been a rather vocal critic of the deal bringing the Richmond Braves to Gwinnett. He’s not against baseball, or baseball in Gwinnett, he just thinks there’s no way to avoid a tax increase to pay for the stadium and that Gwinnett officials haven’t been truthful about it. JC’s blog posts about the Gwinnett Braves can be found here.

Click here to listen to the interview.

Give us you opinion.

The Gwinnett Gladiators are on the road this weekend against the Charlotte Checkers. Gwinnett looks to sweep Charlotte in the first round of the Kelly Cup playoffs on Saturday at 7:00 PM. You can listen to the game on WDUN 550 AM. Gwinnett took a 2-0 lead after a 4-1 win Thursday night.

The Georgia Force have the week off but will be back in action next Saturday against the Orlando Predators. The Force’s record stands at 3-3.

The Atlanta Silverbacks will kick off their 2008 season by hosting the Carolina RailHawks at Silverback Stadium next Saturday night. Also kicking off next week will be the Ferrari Challenge at Road Atlanta.

The Gwinnett Center plays host to the Christians in Action Trade Show Friday and Saturday.

Wild Bill’s has the Bon Jovi tribute band’s Slippery When Wet concert this Friday night at 9:30 PM.

The New London Theatre will perform “The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe” beginning next week.

Stay tuned next week for my interview with JC Bradbury, a rather vocal critic of Gwinnett’s deal to build a new stadium for the Richmond (soon to be Gwinnett) Braves.

That’s all for this edition of Gwinnett Events. Check our website regularly for stuff that going on in Gwinnett County, and if you know of something happening that others might find interesting, please shoot me an email at Buzz-at-ExurbanAdventures.com

Naming rights are still a sticky subject:

The Braves had sought — and Gwinnett had resisted — contract language that would have specifically allowed the team to block the county from selling naming rights to competitors of as many as 14 major Turner

Instead, the contract signed this week says the parties “shall consult with each other and work in good faith” on the sale of naming rights.

The contract gives the Braves the right to review and approve a naming rights deal — provided such approval is not “unreasonably withheld.”

In earlier contract drafts, the Braves sought to stipulate that it would be reasonable to withhold approval of competitors of exclusive team sponsors such as Coca-Cola and Delta Air Lines. But that stipulation was left out of the final contract.

“At the end of the day, we are going to … work together to try to identify a naming-rights partner … and look at things on a case-by-case basis and analyze the circumstances relating to any particular deal,” said attorney Lee Tucker, who negotiated the contract with the Braves for the Gwinnett Convention & Visitors Bureau.

Meanwhile, Sabernomics thinks Gwinnett is getting ripped off:

The county has unrealistic expectations about naming rights revenue. The country expects $850,000 when $400,000 is probably at the very high end of reasonable expectations. The Atlanta club gets $350,000 per year of any naming rights deal. In reality, what is going on here is the Braves flexing their muscles again to squeeze out a few more dollars. With veto power, a sponsor willing to spend a significant amount of money for naming rights could be courted by the Braves who might suggest moving/increasing their sponsorship 30 miles south to Turner Field. Why take $350,000 when you could get a lot more? The Braves have a good idea of who these potential sponsors might be, so this “small list” likely includes some of the most likely sponsors.

The Braves are in an excellent position to protect this option. Gwinnett County has already agreed to build the stadium: the land has been purchased; architects, engineers, and construction crews are getting organized; and bonds are about to be issued. And let’s not forget the politicians’ obvious desperation to give the Braves whatever they want. If the Braves pull out, the county will have a tenantless stadium for which the Braves could block any MLB-affiliated minor league club from inhabiting.

They’re not the Gwinnett Braves until next year but we might as well get acquainted with these guys:

The roster features 10 players who saw major league service in 2007 and nine members of Atlanta’s current 40-man major league roster. In addition to the nine returnees from the playoff roster, three other players spent time with Richmond last season and two more have previous R-Braves experience.

Jo-Jo Reyes is the youngest Brave (23) and Vladimir Nunez is the oldest (32). Only two players have no previous Triple-A experience (RHP Charlie Morton and C Clint Sammons). The roster includes players from five nations (United States, Australia, Cuba, Canada, and Mexico).

On the roster is former Parkview star Clint Sammons.

Complete roster here.

Construction work can now begin:

The county is under a strict deadline with the Atlanta Braves to complete construction of the $45 million stadium by next spring so the team’s top minor-league affiliate can play its 2009 season there.

So far, work crews have only been able to cut trees on the site down to the stumps — no grading or earth work has been allowed.

Preston Williams, who is managing the project for the Gwinnett Convention and Visitors Bureau, said his team would move quickly to obtain a land disturbance permit from Gwinnett County’s Department of Planning and Development now that the DRI review is complete.

“I would think people would be out there pushing dirt in a matter of a couple of weeks,” Williams said.

Law? We don’t need no stinkin’ law.

While Rep. Donna Sheldon, R-Dacula, said a Sunday without beer at the ballpark would be fine with her constituents, Williams said he believes the stadium could enact the “restaurant rule,” which allows alcohol sales as long as more than 50 percent of food and beverage sales come from food. It is that provision that allows the arena to serve alcohol seven days a week.

“My understanding is the baseball stadium will be something like that,” Williams said, noting that alcohol amounts to 35 or 40 percent of sales at the major league Braves’ Turner Field. “As long as we don’t sell 50 percent or more, I think we can do it.”

The Braves want some input:

According to contract drafts obtained under Georgia’s Open Records Act, the Braves are seeking the right to block the county from selling stadium naming rights to competitors of some companies, like Coca-Cola and Delta Air Lines, that have exclusive sponsorship deals with the team.

Gwinnett has resisted the Braves’ pitch on this point because it could result in lower naming-rights revenue for the county. Negotiations continue.

Although both sides express confidence the issue will be resolved, both also say it’s an important point.

“We’re well past any kind of deal-killer stage, if you would … but I think it’s a fair characterization to say this is the biggest issue upon which we are still negotiating,” said attorney Lee Tucker, who is negotiating the contract with the Braves for the Gwinnett Convention & Visitors Bureau.

The county, which will own the stadium, has empowered the GCVB to develop the facility and to enter into a contract with the Braves.

Braves executive vice president of business operations Mike Plant said the team needs to protect significant, long-standing connections that some companies have with its brand.

“It’d be difficult for us to agree to a [conflicting] deal in the soft drink category — with Pepsi, for example,” Plant said. “We have a long-term and very substantial relationship with Coke.”

Plant would not name other sponsors the Braves seek to protect. “It’s a small list,” he said, “and one that we have said to [Gwinnett] we have to protect now that a [minor-league] team is going to be 35 miles north of us.”

I try to avoid politics on this blog but the debate over Sunday alcohol sales has spilled over into the Gwinnett and our new, yet to be built stadium:

Your state Senate has passed a bill to permit the sale of Sunday beer at a new stadium Gwinnett County is building for a Braves minor league team. It is a small, technical patch in the state code.

Currently, only cities may permit stadiums in their jurisdictions to sell beer on Sunday. But the Gwinnett stadium will be in unincorporated territory ruled by the county.

A House committee last week tacked on a provision that would allow local communities throughout Georgia to hold referendums on whether to permit Sunday sales of beer and wine. A House floor vote is all but certain, and chances of passage are good.

If the Senate should fail to agree, or if it does and Perdue vetoes the measure, the Gwinnett Braves could be blocked from offering alcohol on Sunday.

Gwinnett officials say the legislation isn’t critical to their negotiations with the Braves. But their angst belies this. Even the most conservative math says that, over a 30-year contract, Sunday sales of alcohol would be worth several million dollars to the club.

The Georgia Senate approves:

The bill allowing the proposed Gwinnett County stadium to sell beer on Sundays will benefit the Atlanta Braves’ organization because its farm team would use the facility.

“Baseball, beer and peanuts, they are as American as apple pie,” said Sen. Rene Unterman (R-Buford), sponsor of the Gwinnett bill.

Sen. Seth Harp (R-Midland), sponsor of a stalled bill to allow Sunday sales at grocery and convenience stores, said the stadium bill is about economic freedom.

“This is a vote in favor of the expansion of alcohol sales on Sundays,” he said.

The measure passed 30-20.

This might be the only place in Gwinnett you can buy a beer on a Sunday:

Gwinnett County’s new baseball stadium would be allowed to sell alcohol on Sundays under legislation proposed by state Sen. Renee Unterman (R-Buford).

Current state law gives only cities the authority to permit Sunday alcohol sales at stadiums.

Gwinnett County officials, who are building the stadium for the top minor-league affiliate of the Atlanta Braves, asked for the change, County Attorney Karen Thomas said. The stadium will be built on 12 acres on Buford Drive at I-85 in unincorporated Lawrenceville.

Gwinnett Center General Manager Preston Thomas, who is managing the design and construction of the stadium for the county, said the change in law is routine.

The Gwinnett County website has several pieces of information about the Gwinnett Braves and their more from Richmond to Gwinnett. There’s video of the press conference announcing the move, drawing of the ballpark, a copy of the feasibility study, an analysis of the financial structure of the agreement, and information about traffic. Click here for the County’s Braves website.

Read the entire article here.

HKS Inc. of Dallas and Barton Malow Co. of Southfield, Mich., were chosen after a review committee consisting of the convention bureau’s executive committee and others looked at proposals provided by four firms invited to compete for the work, said Gwinnett Center General Manager Preston Williams, who is managing the building for the county.

Aside from stadium design, which HKS will handle, actual work on the project will be subject to typical competitive bidding, Williams said.

“This is the most fast track way you can build a stadium,” Williams said.

The county is under a tight deadline to get the stadium built in time for the first pitch of the 2009 minor league baseball season. The Atlanta Braves have agreed to relocate their top minor-league affiliate from Richmond to play in the stadium.

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From the BravesBlast blog:

Atlanta: We’re hearing mostly positive feedback from Atlanta – another baseball team in town can’t hurt, right? Another smaller crowd sees no need to add a third team to Georgia – citing attendance issues for the big league team that would be worsened by the presence of another baseball team in the metro area.

Gwinnett: I’m hearing two crowds from Gwinnett – some people want the Braves best farm team nearby and easily accessible. Another set is worried about the traffic and other implications that will only get worse with another stadium. They claim that the taxpayers will end up paying some for the stadium (the plan is for the team to pay back the county for the entire cost of the stadium), and that the team will worsen the issues already faced by Gwinnett and the metro area.

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The Gwinnett Braves already have a website and you can make a deposit on tickets.

County to purchase 12 acres of land on Buford Drive new Old Peachtree Road.

Other details of the term sheet, which will be discussed at a 3:30 p.m. news conference announcing the minor league team’s relocation to Gwinnett:

• The agreement lasts 30 years and commences with the 2009 season.

• The Gwinnett County is “solely responsible” for the design and construction of the stadium. Anticipated cost: $38 million.

• Stadium construction must begin by April 1, 2008 and be finished by March 1, 2009.

• The Braves will pay the county $250,000 a year to rent the stadium.

County officials have not yet addressed how they will pay for construction of the stadium or whether taxpayer funds will be involved, but have previously said they would hope to build a stadium with private financing.

I’m excited about the AAA Braves coming to Gwinnett. However, I see no reason for the taxpayers to build this stadium. Let’s see a group of influential business men and women come together and pay for this facility.

Meanwhile the big club in Atlanta had a few things to say about moving the AAA Club from Richmond to Gwinnett:

“We have known that Gwinnett County was interested in building a baseball stadium for about a year coupled with the fact that we have had some challenges getting a new AAA ballpark built in Richmond, made this attractive to have them in our backyard,” said Terry McGuirk, Atlanta Braves Chairman and CEO.

The ballpark will be located at 2500 Buford Drive in Lawrenceville, on the west side of Buford Drive, just north of the Buford Drive and Old Peachtree Road intersection. The team will play the 2008 season in Richmond before relocating to the new state-of-the-art facility starting in April of 2009.

“I am extremely proud and excited for the actions that are being announced today,” said Richard Tucker, Chairman of the Gwinnett Convention and Visitors Bureau Board of Directors. “The Atlanta Braves organization has no equal in Major League Baseball, and the partnership with the Gwinnett Convention and Visitors Bureau will bring a new level of enthusiasm for the citizens of Gwinnett County and the great State of Georgia.”

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According to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution:

The Braves will move their Class AAA minor-league team to Gwinnett County, according to two people familiar with the situation.

The Class AAA Richmond Braves, the organization’s highest-level minor-league affiliate, could play in Gwinnett as soon as 2009. The Braves’ three-year contract at the Richmond, Va. stadium, known as The Diamond, expires following the 2010 season. However, there is an option to pull out after each season. The Braves must give notice on or before Oct. 1 each year. The Braves have wanted much-need renovations at the stadium for years.

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