Visit Sarasota County backs Braves deal

To recruit the Atlanta Braves spring training operation to Sarasota County, officials must make changes to how tourist tax money is spent.

The county, along with the state, city of North Port and the West Villages community, intends to help fund an $80 million stadium project in North Port for the Braves. The county’s contribution would involve a $22.1 million bond using hotel tax money.

On Feb. 16, the county Tourist Development Council approved a new plan for local tourist taxes. The county plans to reallocate more than $800,000 slated for capital projects and events and $400,000 budgeted for promotion toward the stadium annually.

Negotiations with the Braves are still ongoing, but Visit Sarasota County President Virginia Haley endorsed the proposed budget model. She said the baseball complex will help draw tourists and hotel developers to the southern end of the county.

“One of my board’s top goals is to realize a significant tourism asset in that nexus of Venice, North Port and Englewood,” Haley said. “This obviously more than meets that goal.”

Although the hotel market in the city of Sarasota is booming, developers have been reluctant to build hotel projects around North Port.

“I think this will seal the deal for them,” Haley said.

Jeff Maultsby, the county’s director of business and economic development, said Haley passed along a wish list for him to bring into negotiations with the Braves. Haley pointed to the agreement Sarasota County has with the Baltimore Orioles, who provide $1 million in year-round advertising on platforms such as the Mid-Atlantic Sports Network, as a model the county should seek to emulate with the Braves.

Haley said it might not be easy to repeat the Baltimore agreement with the Atlanta team. Still, she said a similar investment should be an important part of any deal.

“The county has made clear this is a significant part of this — this is a lot of what’s driven the year-round economic impact,” Haley said.

The Tourist Development Council shared Haley’s approval of the changes to the tourist tax budget.

"It's a game-changer for the community on so many levels," City Commissioner Suzanne Atwell said at the Feb. 16 meeting.