Truist Park partnership now net-positive for Cobb County; officials outline public‑safety plan for MLB All‑Star Week

Cobb County finance and public‑safety officials told the Board of Commissioners on June 24 that the county’s partnership with the Atlanta Braves around Truist Park and The Battery has generated rising tax and fee revenues and that multiagency public‑safety planning is in place for the upcoming MLB All‑Star Week.

Bill Volkman, Cobb County finance director, said the county originally projected in 2015 that it would need $6,400,000 of general‑fund revenue to support stadium debt service but that the arrangement has reversed in recent years. “In 2023, we generated almost $1,500,000 that positively impacted the general fund's operations,” Volkman said, and “in 2024, those numbers further improved to generating $3,000,000 of positive gain to the general fund.” Volkman attributed debt‑service funding to a mix of Cumberland Special Service District levies, a hotel room fee inside the district, rental‑car and countywide hotel‑motel taxes, and the Braves’ annual payment of $6,100,000.

Volkman also presented property‑tax and sales‑tax totals for The Battery and surrounding parcels: the area grew from four parcels with a combined taxable value of about $5,000,000 in 2014 to 56 parcels valued at $577,000,000 at the end of 2024, an increase of $49,000,000 from 2023 to 2024. He reported that Cobb County’s general fund and fire fund together received roughly $2,600,000 from Battery property tax in 2024, and that county portions of sales and use, liquor‑by‑the‑drink and occupation taxes tied to the development totaled about $10,500,000 in 2024. Volkman said the Board of Education received roughly $4,300,000 in property tax and just over $4,000,000 in sales tax in 2024; the state’s share of those sales taxes was reported as about $16,700,000 for the same period. Volkman described a five‑year total of more than $112,000,000 in combined revenue from sales, liquor and occupation taxes shared among county, school and state partners.

Mike Plant, a Braves representative, reviewed tenant and event activity at The Battery and Truist Park: he said 35 restaurants and entertainment tenants produced roughly $134,000,000 in 2024 activity inside the Battery boundaries, that the mixed‑use development comprises about 3,000,000 square feet (exclusive of Truist Park), and that the complex hosts about 375 events per year. Plant also described charitable and community investments by the team and its foundation, including a recently announced $800,000 contribution for Ryan Park and grants to local nonprofits.

Public‑safety planning for MLB All‑Star Week was presented by the county’s public‑safety leadership. Director Register said planning has followed a FEMA planning process and the National Incident Management System (NIMS) framework and that the county has held multiple coordinated meetings with federal, state and local partners as well as with MLB and Braves staff. He said the county has finalized an event action plan, conducted tabletop exercises (the first on April 17), and is engaged in operational training modules prior to the event.

Register and deputies described operational measures: 147 physical barriers will be staged to separate high‑density pedestrian areas from vehicle traffic; two fixed operational command centers (one in the Battery/Truist Park area and one at the Cumberland Galleria) plus a mobile command unit will be deployed; and a restricted workforce‑management app will be used by authorized responders and event staff to track personnel and locations. Register said the app will not be available to the general public and that final placements and some tactical details will not be publicly broadcast for security reasons. He added that law enforcement meeting cadence has increased (weekly Tuesday meetings) and that county staff are coordinating with airport and regional partners on expected traffic impacts.

Commissioners asked about traffic and business operations during All‑Star Week; staff said private employers can be asked to consider remote work but that such decisions remain with each company and that Cumberland Community Improvement District and other partners have been engaged on messaging. Several commissioners and staff emphasized federal, state and local coordination for intelligence and threat assessment.

There were no formal votes or motions recorded during the work session presentation.

The county manager and commissioners closed the session by thanking the Braves and all participating agencies for planning and support ahead of the All‑Star events.