Braves Announce Sept. 16 Groundbreaking for Cobb Stadium

The Atlanta Braves have announced that they will break ground on their new Cobb County stadium on Sept. 16 at 11 a.m., Fox Sports reports.

The stadium near the intersections of interstates 75 and 285 is expected to hold 41,500 people and will be part of a mixed-use development that will include adjacent retail and living space.

Construction will begin in spite of a challenge filed with the Georgia Supreme Court of a Cobb County judge’s decision to validate $397 million in bonds to pay for the construction of the stadium. The complainants argue that local governments cannot assume such debt without putting the proposal to the voters in a referendum.

Cobb County entered into an intergovernmental contract between itself and the Cobb-Marietta Coliseum and Exhibit Hall Authority to issue the bonds, but the latter entity will have no hand in repaying the debt or building or operating the stadium.

A Braves spokesman has acknowledged the appeal, but said that they have “full confidence” that the validation will be upheld on appeal.