Team officials with the Atlanta Braves say they plan to break ground next month on their new spring-training facility in North Port. City commissioners voted 3-2 Tuesday night to approve a development agreement- one that is already over budget. The price tag is now north of $100 million- nearly 20 to 25 percent more than city officials had initially estimated. Despite the cost increase, commissioners said the amount of taxpayer funding will not change- it will still be $40.4 million. Sarasota County will cover $21.3 million of the construction cost, the state of Florida $14.4 million and North Port $4.7 million. The project’s private developer will also contribute $4.7 million. The Braves are on the hook for the remaining $55.5 million through a combination of up-front payments of about $18 million and annual payments over 30 years.
