House That Hank Built
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Atlanta Braves Morning Chop: The Green Green Grass of Home

By Alan Carpenter

Mar 17, 2016; Melbourne, FL, USA; Washington Nationals left fielder Jayson Werth (28) looks on from the outfield in the seventh inning against the Atlanta Braves at Space Coast Stadium. The Washington Nationals won 9-7. Mandatory Credit: Logan Bowles-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 17, 2016; Melbourne, FL, USA; Washington Nationals left fielder Jayson Werth (28) looks on from the outfield in the seventh inning against the Atlanta Braves at Space Coast Stadium. The Washington Nationals won 9-7. Mandatory Credit: Logan Bowles-USA TODAY Sports /
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Sun Trust Park is finally about to get a finishing touch that we’ve been watching for.

There is some extra activity today on site at SunTrust Park.  Familiar-looking vehicles of the Atlanta Braves grounds-keeping team are running across the sandy-colored dirt in the outfield.

Of course, that’s exactly the problem… they are moving over dirt.

However, with a March 31 exhibition game coming up quickly, that’s about to change.

How much grass is required for a major league ballpark anyway?  Let’s take a lesson from the Padres, who were re-sodding Petco Park on Tuesday – on schedule despite a flood on Monday that turned the field into a lake:

"On Tuesday, the Padres laid sod for 18,000 square feet — roughly one-third of the playing field. Resodding had always been slated for this week, and the rains didn’t change much schedule-wise."

So… 54,000 square feet, plus or minus?  While Petco is a large park, the fences have been brought in some, so this is probably analogous to SunTrust Park.

This is premium stuff, too, so it’s likely not the $429 that 500 sq. ft. (many varieties) will cost you down at the local Home Depot.  Even at that price, 54,000 sq. ft. would run $46,332 before taxes.

Hopefully it will sufficiently take root in the next 4 weeks.

Bustling With Activity

Meanwhile, the Braves announced last week that they have been granted their Certificate of Occupancy for the new ballpark.

Other buildings in Battery Atlanta are also starting to get a more finished look as well:

Now clearly, the stadium has been the focus of the most attention, this as the AJC pointed out this morning, there’s still a lot of work to be done… which may have to be walked around… that will have to be finished in season.

That Tim Tucker article included this assessment of the overall picture that fans will see coming in:

"“Two of the biggest and highest-profile parts of The Battery – a Comcast office building and an Omni hotel– are expected to open later this year and early next year, respectively."

"“The three apartment communities within The Battery are slated to open in April, May and July.After the buildings currently under construction are completed, there are plans for future phases of the development…”"

Next: Does This Lineup Stack Up?

It’s getting close!

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