(The Center Square) — Cobb County officials continue to tout the benefits of the Atlanta Braves stadium development near Smyrna, but a leading expert says the project’s finances aren’t quite the home run leaders suggest.
The Braves moved to Truist Park, initially named SunTrust Park, for the 2017 season, and Cobb officials committed $300 million in public funds for the $672 million stadium complex project.
The county uses various revenue sources, including a nightly hotel room fee and a rental car tax, to fund its $16.4 million portion of the more than $22.4 million debt service annually. The Atlanta Braves pay an additional $6.1 million per year in rent.
In a release that touted “the meteoric rise of property values,” Cobb officials said the county used less than $1.8 million from the general fund for the stadium’s debt service, below the initial $6.4 million projection. Cobb officials said Battery businesses paid
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