CoolToday Park

CoolToday Park
Map
Address18800 South West Villages Parkway
LocationNorth Port, Florida
Coordinates27°02′01″N 82°19′12″W / 27.033728°N 82.319887°W / 27.033728; -82.319887
Public transitBreeze Transit
OwnerSarasota County[4]
OperatorAtlanta Braves[4]
TypeStadium
Capacity6,200 fixed seats and 8,000 total[8]
Field size
  • Left Field – 335 ft (102 m)
  • Left-Center – 385 ft (117 m)
  • Center Field – 400 ft (120 m)
  • Right-Center – 375 ft (114 m)
  • Right Field – 325 ft (99 m)
[9][10]
Acreage70[4]
SurfaceGrass
Construction
Broke groundOctober 16, 2017[1][2]
OpenedMarch 24, 2019[3]
Construction cost$140 million[5]
ArchitectFawley Bryant Architecture & Pendulum[6]
Project managerCarolyn Eastwood[7]
General contractorTandem Construction[1]
Tenants
Atlanta Braves (MLB) 2019–present
FCL Braves (FCL) (2019–present)

CoolToday Park is a ballpark in North Port, Florida, located in the southern portion of Sarasota County, 35 miles (56 km) south of Sarasota, Florida. It is the spring training home of the Atlanta Braves of Major League Baseball.[11][12] The ballpark opened on March 24, 2019, with the Braves' 4–2 win over the Tampa Bay Rays.[13][14]

The Braves' $140 million project was funded by private and public sources.[15] Sarasota County contributed $21.2 million through hotel bed tax dollars.[8] The state of Florida put in $20 million after showing the Braves arrival would add $1.7 billion economic impact on the area over the team's 30-year lease. Mattamy Homes, a private developer, donated the land and $4.7 million.[8] The city of North Port contributed $4.7 million and Wellen Park, the planned community within North Port that houses the facility, ran the construction and development.[15] The Braves committed a 30-year lease, annual payments to Wellen Park, and at a minimum the first $18 million in the cost of the complex.[8]

  1. ^ a b Murdock, Zack (October 16, 2017). "Atlanta Braves break ground on spring training complex". Sarasota Herald-Tribune. Retrieved October 16, 2017.
  2. ^ "Atlanta Braves Spring Training". Sarasota County Government. Retrieved April 11, 2018.
  3. ^ Cite error: The named reference namerights was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  4. ^ a b c Murdock, Zack (January 17, 2017). "Atlanta Braves pick Sarasota County for spring training". Sarasota Herald-Tribune. Retrieved February 27, 2017.
  5. ^ Rodriguez, Nicole (March 1, 2019). "Atlanta Braves stadium in North Port nearing completion". Sarasota Herald-Tribune. Retrieved March 2, 2019.
  6. ^ Murdock, Zack (February 5, 2017). "A look at the proposed spring home of the Braves". Sarasota Herald-Tribune. Retrieved October 16, 2017.
  7. ^ "Atlanta Braves Spring Training Facility – March 2018 Update". Sarasota County Public Works Capital Projects. Retrieved April 11, 2018.
  8. ^ a b c d "Atlanta Braves – Spring Training". MLB. Retrieved May 23, 2019.
  9. ^ Tucker, Tim (March 9, 2016). "Outfield dimensions, wall heights different at new Braves stadium". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Archived from the original on October 19, 2016. Retrieved April 20, 2016.
  10. ^ Tucker, Tim (February 27, 2017). "Braves agree on key terms for new spring home". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Retrieved February 27, 2017.
  11. ^ Tucker, Tim (January 31, 2018). "Braves delay opening of new spring training complex, stay at Disney extra year". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Retrieved January 31, 2018.
  12. ^ Murdock, Zack (January 24, 2017). "Atlanta Braves executives 'can't wait' to land in North Port stadium". Sarasota Herald-Tribune. Retrieved February 27, 2017.
  13. ^ Rodriguez, Nicole (March 1, 2019). "Atlanta Braves stadium in North Port nearing completion". Sarasota Herald-Tribune. Retrieved March 1, 2019.
  14. ^ Tucker, Tim (March 24, 2019). "Braves' Gausman takes 'another step' toward 'being ready'". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Retrieved March 24, 2019.
  15. ^ a b Encina, Eduardo (March 23, 2019). "Check out the Rays' new spring training neighbor". Tampa Bay Times. Retrieved March 23, 2019.