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A&B Properties and RD Olson Development have broken ground on a new Courtyard hotel in Kahului on the island of Maui, Hawaii, US. The new 138-room hotel is being constructed on a 3.35 acre site at a cost of $16.5m. After the four-storey hotel is completed in early 2012, t

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The new ballpark for the Atlanta Braves baseball team is to be built on a 60-acre site on the north-west intersection of I-75 and I-285 in Cobb County, Georgia, US. The new stadium is planned to have a capacity of 41,500 seats and will include a mixed-use area and a green area. The total estimated cost of the project is $672m.

American Builders 2017, a joint venture comprising of Brasfield & Gorrie, Mortenson Construction, Barton Malow Company and New South Construction, is responsible for the construction of the facility. The construction is scheduled to begin in 2014 and the grand opening is planned for mid-2017. The preliminary construction work, including relocation of the gas pipelines lying across the property to the edge of the site, is in progress as of August 2014.

The stadium will be owned by the Cobb-Marietta Coliseum and Exhibit Hall Authority, who has partnered with the Braves for the development of the project.

The construction phase is expected to create 5,227 jobs and a payroll of more than $235m.

Design of the new ballpark

Topography was an important factor in the design, as the building would be constructed on a gentle slope to bring the maximum number of seats closer to the field. The hillside location also enhances the number of sightlines and elevations. Visitors will arrive at the mezzanine level, where the home plate is situated, and will exit at the field level.

The parking sections, which are planned to run down the slopes, are separated by trees.

A central gathering place or the Plaza, for holding events throughout the year, will be located outside the front gate. It will include facilities for hosting concerts and movies and will also feature entertainment venues. Arrangements will be made for craft beer in the entertainment venues and weekend street festivals are planned to be held. The plaza will be decorated by iconic team monuments and flags during championships and games and will serve as the gathering ground for the team on game days.

The Chop House will be strategically located to provide views of the field and the plaza. The one-acre water feature of the development area lies in a park-like setting located south of the outfield stands. The fountains will perform during the team’s victory or their home run. The north side of the boutique hotel looks over the water feature, plaza and the stadium.

Details of the mixed-use development

The mixed-use development spread across 74 acres will be built at an estimated cost of $400m and will be 100% privately funded by the Braves and other private partners, including three local companies; Fuqua Development, Pope & Land Enterprises and Pollack Shores Real Estate Group.

It comprises approximately 630,000ft² of office space, which will be developed in partnership with Pope & Land. The 500,000ft² of retail space will be developed with assistance from Fuqua Development. Pollack Shores Real Estate Group will be involved in the development of the 500 residential spaces. The project will additionally feature 450 hotel rooms.

The primary phase of the work will include the development of 700,000 to one million square feet of retail, restaurant, residential, hotel and office space.

Facilities of the ballpark

Apart from being easily accessible from I-75, I-285, the new facility is also in the vicinity of 41/Cobb Parkway. A total of 14 access points from major roadways and a number of other transportation options are easily available.

A mini field is to be built adjacent to the ballpark as a kids’ zone. The ballpark will have air-conditioning on every level and parking will be available for up to 6,000 vehicles.

Financing

The Atlanta Braves will contribute a total of $372m in addition to any cost overruns, while the remaining $300m will be contributed by Cobb County.

A capital maintenance fund is also established to provide funds for maintenance and repair of the stadium. It is equally funded by the Braves and Cobb County.

Contractors involved

Jones Lang LaSalle is the real estate and development consultant for the project. The master plan for the project was developed by the JERDE Partnership, which is also responsible for the land planning.

Van Wagner Sports and Entertainment is the partnership consultant for the project. Established in 2013 by a subsidiary of the Atlanta Braves, Braves Real Estate Development (BRED) acquired a number of land parcels with the aim to finally gather the land that is needed to develop the project.