Reed's Legacy: 'Loss of the Braves to Cobb'

In a recent Letter to the Editor at Patch, ‘How the Liberty Media Braves Stole Home on Atlanta,’ the writer expounded how the 2017 exodus of the Atlanta Braves to Cobb County will financially injure the taxpayers of the City of Atlanta and Fulton County.

The author went on to write, though, that Atlanta and Fulton still have some powerful weapons in their bags to make the Braves sit up and take note.

The op-ed prompted this comment from Patch user Richard Campbell, who wrote in part:

“The TED is falling apart from the inside. City of Atlanta has not properly maintained, and the area around Turner Field (of which actual residents can attest to) is crap. The City has rebuffed the Braves attempts (yes multiple) to buy and develop the area around the TED. It was City of Atlanta that denied the extension of a rail line to the stadium, so as to not cut into the City's parking revenues. The City of Atlanta did not fund the TED, ACOG built it for the Olympics and gave it to Atlanta. Atlanta does not have millions tied up into Turner field's construction. They've failed to update, maintain or repair the stadium. Regardless of what Kasim Reed promises, developing the area around Turner Field isn't going to be led by him. He'll be in his last year as a lame duck mayor in 2017. It'll take 6-8 months to demolish the TED, and no one on the council will want to be attached to any of his ideas. Reed's "legacy" in Atlanta will be loss of the Braves to Cobb and Park Atlanta. Had Reed been challenged by a viable candidate, and a few of the council been booted out this last election, there probably would have been a different result. But Liberty Media and the Braves have tired of the City of Atlanta's lack of interest in developing the Summerhill/Turner field area. So are the residents.”

What are your thoughts on Mr. Campbell’s comments? Do you agree with his assessment of the City's overall efforts involving Turner Field and of Mayor Reed’s legacy?