North Port’s new Spring Training home for the Atlanta Braves took one step closer to reality Tuesday after the Sarasota County Commission approved borrowing $22 million toward the $75.4-million project. The new training camp will not involve any raising of taxes or any tax rates. $20M will come from the state through a grant designed to help keep Spring Training facilities in Florida, $15M will come from the developer, $7.5 from the Braves franchise itself, and North Port will pony up another $5M. There are still a bunch of agreements that need to be agreed to and signed- a stadium operating agreement, a project development agreement, a formal application for state spring training grant funding, a funding pledge from North Port coffers, and interlocal agreements between the city, county and developer. If the complex receives final approval in a timely fashion, it could open for the Braves in the spring of 2019.
