ATLANTA -- The Braves have gained the approval necessary to begin construction of their new Spring Training facility in North Port, Fla.
The North Port City Commission met Tuesday afternoon and voted to approve the development agreement regarding the Spring Training facility the Braves plan to begin constructing next month.
"We are pleased to move forward after this final approval and we look forward to building a world-class facility that will bring Braves baseball to West Villages, the City of North Port and Sarasota County," Braves vice chairman John Schuerholz said. "On behalf of the Braves, we thank all those who worked so diligently to make this happen."
The Braves plan to break ground and begin constructing their facility in October. They plan to move into their new Spring Training home before opening camp in 2019.
With the move, the Braves will gain the modern amenities that have not been afforded at the current Spring Training facility, which is located on Walt Disney World's property in Lake Buena Vista, Fla. They will also gain a geographical advantage, as they will now be located within 90 minutes of all the Major League teams that train on Florida's Gulf Coast.