Braves Stadium and Battery Atlanta complex continue to surpass projections
The annual fiscal report shows revenue from the complex again exceeds county taxpayer’s contributions

Marietta, GA—For the second consecutive year, the Battery Atlanta complex's property taxes exceeded the county’s general fund payment into the debt fund. This milestone, first achieved last year, comes years before 2015 projections.

The financial picture of the complex came during the annual Braves Stadium / Battery Atlanta update to the Cobb County Board of Commissioners (BOC). The President and CEO of the Braves Development Company, Mike Plant, outlined the complex’s growth, which included a record 10.3 million visitors to the Battery in 2023, the majority from outside Cobb County.

Plant also said that even though the Battery complex is almost built out, several new projects are scheduled to open this year and next, and they anticipate more fans coming to Truist Park this season. 

“I appreciate all the support from the board,” Plant said. “There are more good things to come, and hopefully,  we’ll be planning a parade with you this November.”

Chief Financial Officer Bill Volckmann detailed the fiscal outlook, fueled by the meteoric rise of property values, from $5 million in 2014 before the Braves' development to $767 million in 2023. 

Volckmann told the board, “The amount of property tax paid by the Braves and Battery Atlanta complex more than exceeded the amount of general fund property taxes contributed to the debt service.”

The general fund’s contribution to the stadium’s debt service fund fell to $1.75 million, well below the original projections of $6.4 million annually. This amounts to 0.3% of the county’s Adopted 2024 General Fund Budget. This decrease was fueled by a significant rebound of other revenue sources, including the hotel/motel tax, taxes paid by the special service district, and a $3 per-night hotel room fee, now well above pre-pandemic levels.

Image

In the meantime, the property taxes generated from the Battery Atlanta complex rose to nearly $2.6 million last year, more than $800,000 above the county’s general fund obligation.

The figures include only properties in the Atlanta Braves Battery Atlanta complex and do not consider the “halo effect” of development around the complex. 

CFO Volckmann also told the BOC that Battery Atlanta's revenue exceeds bond debt service costs for the second straight year and now also covers the cost of providing the CobbLinc Circulator in the Cumberland area.

"I know whenever I try to park at the complex on the weekend, I allot a lot of time because so many people want to be there," Chairwoman Lisa Cupid said. "It's great to see the property doing so well."

"This is a great trend," said Commissioner JoAnn Birrell. "I know it's taken a few years, but it's great to see the debt service go away."

"I appreciate the partnership," said Commissioner Jerica Richardson. "I am so excited for what the future holds and to see the future investments in this area."