The former home of a Major League Baseball club is officially being repurposed by one FBS member.
In the works for more than two years, Georgia State announced Wednesday that its board of regents has approved the university’s purchase of Turner Field. GSU purchased the stadium and 38 acres of the 68-acre site on which the now-former home of the Atlanta Braves sits for $22.8 million.
The university plans to renovate The Ted and use it as the home for its football team. The stadium will initially seat 23,000 fans, with the possibility of 10,000 seats being added in the future.
No taxpayer dollars or new student fees were used in the purchase, nor will they be used in the renovation, the school noted. Any of the acreage not used by the university or athletic department “will be sold and leased to Georgia State’s development partner Carter and Associates, which will develop private housing, retail and corporate facilities around the stadium.”
“Acquiring the former Turner Field site presents a unique opportunity for Georgia State University that will help its athletics program continue to grow and positively impact the surrounding area,” said chancellor Hank Huckaby in a statement. “Georgia State University continues to advance as a leading urban research institution and making this site and facility part of Georgia State will help enhance the campus experience for students.”
A timeline for a move to Turner Field has not been released. The Panthers have played their home games at the Georgia Dome since the program’s inception in 2010.