Atlanta Braves’ move to Sarasota County won’t happen as soon as expected

The Atlanta Braves are extending their stay in Lake Buena Vista through April 2019, the team announced Wednesday, meaning the move to Sarasota County will be delayed.

The Braves, who are moving from Disney’s ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex to a new $110 million facility in the West Villages development in North Port, were originally expected to move for the duration of the 2019 spring schedule.

However, the project, which held a groundbreaking ceremony following final approvals from Sarasota County and North Port officials in October, according to the Atlanta Journal Constitution, won’t be ready until the final spring training home game in 2019.

“We are thankful to our good friends at Walt Disney World Resort and are excited for this extension,” Atlanta Braves vice chairman emeritus John Schuerholz said in a press release. “We also appreciate the foresight and thoughtfulness of our partners in North Port, Sarasota County and West Villages in recognizing such an extension will be of benefit as we continue to make progress on our new facility. When complete, our new state-of-the-art facility will secure our long-term goal of creating a perfectly positioned and operational spring training facility for the next 30 years.”

The North Port ballpark is expected to have 6,500 fixed seats and 2,500 additional general admission seats when completed, according to the press release.

When the Braves do arrive, the Orlando area no longer will have a Major League Baseball team for the spring. The Houston Astros, who previously trained in Kissimmee, relocated to Palm Beach County in 2017.

Atlanta’s arrival in North Port also will mean the tri-county area of Manatee, Sarasota and Charlotte counties will have four teams.

The Pittsburgh Pirates have called Bradenton its spring home since 1969 and are celebrating their 50th year in 2018. The Baltimore Orioles train in Sarasota, and the Tampa Bay Rays are in Port Charlotte.

The North Port facility also will include 6 1/2 practice fields, a 55,000-square-foot clubhouse and fitness center, as well as multi-purpose fields and public space used for city and county special events.

“We fully support this decision by the Atlanta Braves as the construction administrators for the project,” Sarasota County business and economic development director Jeff Maultsby said in the press release. The agreements between the project partners always envisioned and addressed the possibility that 2020 could be the Braves’ first full spring in Sarasota County, and we are excited to celebrate their arrival at the 2019 spring training finale.”

It also will be a year-round complex with a Gulf Coast League (rookie) team, extended spring training for minor league teams and fall instructional league.

This story was originally published January 31, 2018 at 10:49 AM with the headline "Atlanta Braves’ move to Sarasota County won’t happen as soon as expected."