ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. — The Atlanta Braves are making a pitch to leave central Florida.
The team submitted a proposal to move from Disney’s Wide World of Sports to St. Petersburg.
Disney’s Wide World of Sports has been the home of the Braves spring training since the 1990s, but in two years, the team is free to leave.
Photos: Renderings of sports complex for Braves spring training
The Braves would be the third team to leave the area if the plan is approved.
The Houston Astros are leaving Kissimmee when the team’s contract is up, and the Washington Nationals are leaving Viera.
A proposal was submitted to Pinellas County in the Tampa area for what’s being called an international destination that would include a hotel, retail shops and baseball facilities.
In the documents from Pinellas County, a letter from the Braves’ president reads, in part, “Atlanta Braves have significant interest in exploring a partnership with you.” It continues to say they hope to reach an agreement by the end of the year to be ready for the 2018 spring training season.
The letter doesn’t detail why the team is considering the switch, but Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer weighed in on the issue.
“Spring training teams like to proximate to the other spring training teams, so with the Astros and the Nationals moving further south, it leaves only the Tigers in Lakeland,” he said.
Dyer said he doesn’t expect losing the teams to have a significant impact on central Florida’s economy.
“Certainly spring training brings some visitors here. It’s not something we’re totally reliant on,” Dyer said.
A Disney spokesperson wouldn’t say if anything is being done to entice the Braves to stay, only saying that Disney looks forward to hosting the Braves in the upcoming seasons.
Leaders in Pinellas County are set to discuss the proposal later this fall.
WFTV
