The Palm Beach Post is reporting that the Atlanta Braves, which earlier this month began negotiating with Sarasota County for a new spring training home in the West Villages in North Port, is also hearing out Palm Beach County, where the Braves trained for 35 years before moving to Disney's Wide World of Sports in 1998.
This development has significant real estate implications for South County, which would benefit from an economic influx brought by the exposure the Braves would bring.
The team's chairman, Terry McGuirk, is scheduled to meet with several Palm Beach County and municipal leaders Tuesday evening, according to Post reporter Joe Capozzi's story. The topic is opening a spring training camp there in 2018.
“It’s going to take lot of cooperation from a lot of people to get this to happen,’’ Palm Beach County Commissioner Shelley Vana told the Post. “This is kind of we-want-you meeting. Let’s talk about how we can do it.’’
Possible sites in Palm Beach County include Lake Worth, Boca Raton and Delray Beach, Vana told the newspaper.
But by 2018, Palm Beach County will have at least four other major-league teams for spring training, and is spending $113 million in tourist tax money for a new stadium in West Palm Beach that will be used by the Houston Astros and the Washington Nationals. Those teams are moving from Kissimmee and Viera, respectively. The Miami Marlins and St. Louis Cardinals train in Jupiter.
Moving to Palm Beach County would put the Braves near three rival teams in the National League's East Division -- the Mets, Marlins and Nationals. In Sarasota County, the Braves would be near the Pittsburgh Pirates from the National League Central, and the Baltimore Orioles, Tampa Bay Rays, Minnesota Twins and Boston Red Sox from the American League.
One thing is for sure -- they are not staying at Disney, as they would be all alone there once the Nationals and Astros move south.
