The Atlanta Braves could be moving their spring training facility out of Disney's ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex.
- Atlanta Braves could move from Disney to Sarasota County
- If a deal is reached, team could move there for 2019 season
- The Braves' first spring training at Disney was in 1998
The team on Tuesday announced it is in exclusive negotiations with Sarasota County to make it the destination for the team's new spring training complex.
The team is in exclusive negotiations with the county and its partners at the West Villages, a Sarasota County release states.
"We appreciate the patience of all parties during this process," Braves Chairman and CEO Terry McGuirk said in a statement. "This is the perfect location for our team and we couldn’t be more excited to be part of Sarasota County and West Villages."
If an agreement can be reached, the Braves will move their spring training operations from Central Florida to Sarasota County as soon as the 2019 spring season, McGuirk said.
The Braves' first spring training at Disney's Wide World of Sports was in 1998.
In March 2016, the Sarasota County Commission authorized Tom Harmer, the county administrator, to negotiate with the Braves. In June, the team asked for more time to continue the discussions.
"There's still a lot of work to do to finalize the terms, agreements and approvals necessary, but this announcement is a major step forward in the efforts to bring the Braves to our area," Harmer said. "Continuing to expand sports tourism is high on the county's list, and the opportunity to bring a major sports anchor to the city of North Port could have a significant impact in south county."
The planned site is located within the city of North Port, with direct access to U.S. 41 and West Villages Parkway.
The county plans to provide a public update on the status of the negotiations at the Jan. 24 County Commission meeting.