For the Atlanta Braves and its fans, singing “Take Me Out to the Ballgame” has a whole new meaning. The first home pitch of the 2017 season will be thrown on April 14 in the brand new $492 million SunTrust Park and adjacent mixed-use development, The Battery Atlanta. The Major League Baseball team partnered with JLL to achieve the team’s ambition of creating a 365-day-a-year destination in less than three years.
“SunTrust Park and The Battery Atlanta will have a significant impact on the greater Atlanta community, and we are proud to have played a part in this game-changing development,” said Don Loudermilk, Senior Vice President, JLL Project and Development Services. “We have transformed where Brave’s fans will cheer for their hometown team and created a premier entertainment district that will deliver unique experiences for generations to come.”
JLL advised on financial management, site selection and project management for both the new ballpark and the Battery Atlanta. Understanding the aggressive timeline, the firm worked closely with the Atlanta Braves to quickly identify 82-acres of undeveloped land that would match the team’s inspiration behind the project. The design and construction started immediately after, allowing the ballpark to be ready ahead of the 2017 season.
“Our fans are our number one priority, and we wanted to give them a home that exceeded their expectations,” said Mike Plant, Braves’ President. “With the help of JLL, we completed what is typically a five-year project in just under three years. We can now give our fans a more memorable experience, with innovative technology advancements and a lifestyle hub where the Atlanta Community can live, work, play and shop.”
Sitting at the heart of the new development, SunTrust Park maximizes on space and sightlines. With an intimate size of 41,000 seats and 32 executive suites, fans in every section will feel like they have the best seat in the house. The Delta SKY360 Club, an 18,000 square foot hospitality club, will feature state-of-the-art technology, rich natural materials and memorabilia displays. Food and beverage options in the park will be abundant, including 216 concession points-of-sale and a completely reimagined Coors Light Chop-House.
Right field will face The Battery Atlanta, featuring 5,000 residential units, a 4-star Omni Hotel and more than 400,000 square feet of retail and office space. The development will be a top attraction not only for fans, but foodies and families alike.
“The Braves’ team and organizational structure was unmatched, and allowed us to fully understand their vision,” said Loudermilk. “Because of this, we were able to build a strong relationship, delivering daily expertise and oversight throughout the highly technical project. Seeing it all come to life is a wonderful feeling.”
Sun Trust Park and the Battery Atlanta is a true public-private partnership. The economic benefits from the new ballpark will ripple throughout the region, and began with the construction process, which supported more than 5,227 jobs and generated $235 million in payroll. SunTrust Park and the Battery Atlanta will be an economic engine for the entire Metro-Atlanta community.
JLL Project and Development Services is a leader in the development, design, construction and branding of commercial real estate projects for the world’s most prominent corporations, educational institutions, public jurisdictions, sports facilities, healthcare organizations, industrial facilities, retailers, hotels and real estate owners. Ranked No. 3 in Building Design + Construction’s 2016 Construction Management Giants survey and No. 5 on Engineering News Record’s 2016 list of Top 100 Construction Management-for-Fee Firms, JLL’s project management team comprises 4,895 project managers across 51 countries and is actively managing $31.1 billion under construction.
About JLL JLL (NYSE: JLL) is a leading professional services firm that specializes in real estate and investment management. A Fortune 500 company, JLL helps real estate owners, occupiers and investors achieve their business ambitions. In 2016, JLL had revenue of $6.8 billion and fee revenue of $5.8 billion and, on behalf of clients, managed 4.4 billion square feet, or 409 million square meters, and completed sales acquisitions and finance transactions of approximately $136 billion. At year-end 2016, JLL had nearly 300 corporate offices, operations in over 80 countries and a global workforce of more than 77,000. As of December 31, 2016, LaSalle Investment Management has $60.1 billion of real estate under asset management. JLL is the brand name, and a registered trademark, of Jones Lang LaSalle Incorporated. For further information, visit https://www.jll.com/.