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Braves development, The Battery and All‑Star Week generate millions for Cobb County, officials say
Summary
Commissioner Eric Allen and Mike Plant, CEO of Atlanta Braves Development, described The Battery and the upcoming MLB All‑Star events as major economic drivers for Cobb County, citing millions in annual revenue, visitor counts and community giving while emphasizing the public‑private partnership behind the project.
Commissioner Eric Allen of Cobb County and Mike Plant, chief executive officer of Atlanta Braves Development, said the Braves' mixed‑use development at The Battery and the MLB All‑Star events will drive substantial revenue and visibility for Cobb County.
Mike Plant said the development started from a 60‑acre site and now encompasses what he described as "3,000,000 square feet of mixed use development, you know a million plus square feet in Truist Park and bringing 9 plus million people a year there." He told Allen the project is "the best example I believe of public private partnership you will find anywhere in this country."
The discussion matters because county officials have framed The Battery as a long‑term revenue source that supports local services and schools. Plant told the program that "every year now, last year was almost $40,000,000 again in cash that went to the county's general fund, the Cobb School Board of Education, and the state of Georgia." He added that that revenue "far far exceeds the annual debt service that was coming out of the general fund which I believe is somewhere around $6,400,000."
Allen and Plant also discussed community and charitable impacts. Plant listed local contributions including field renovations, support for veterans and public safety, work with the Boys & Girls Club, and said that after the COVID‑19 pandemic the Braves helped provide "over 3,000,000 meals to Cobb citizens, through the the food bank." Allen noted recent local events tied to the district, such as a Shake Shack opening and recognition of Campbell High School's boys soccer championship.
On the coming All‑Star festivities, Plant said the county will be in the national spotlight: "There are over 3,000 media representatives that are here. There's television broadcast, for the Home Run Derby and All Star Game all over the world." He outlined planned events, saying they include the Home Run Derby, the All‑Star Game, an HBCU classics event, the Futures Game, a celebrity game and an All‑Star Village at the Galleria intended for families.
Both men framed the site and the events as economic and civic assets. Plant described the model as relying on mixed‑use tax revenue rather than just venue receipts: "we built a mixed use development and that's where all the tax revenue comes from." Allen encouraged Cobb residents to attend All‑Star Week activities and said the events will bring broad exposure to the county.
No formal county actions or votes were discussed on the program; the exchange was an interview about ongoing operations, economic impacts and upcoming events.
