Venue Detail
Gwinnett Braves
RSV Pro Facilities Report
March, 2014
Gwinnett Braves
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2500 Buford Ave Lawrenceville, GA 30043 Phone: 678-277-0300 Fax: 678-277-0338 URL: www.gwinnettbraves.com Owner: Atlanta Braves League: International League, South
Venue
Coolray Field, 2500 Buford Dr, Lawrenceville, GA 30043 Owner: Gwinnett County Managed by: Team Built: 2009 Capacity: 10,000 Concessionaire: Aramark Suite caterer: Aramark Soft drink:
Naming Rights
Sold to: Coolray Heating and Cooling Price: $4,500,000 Term: 16 years Expires: 2026
Ticket Prices
Season tickets range from $650 to $2,500 Single tickets range from $9.00 to $40.00
Attendance
2011 average attendance: 5,095 2012 average attendance: 4,680 2013 average attendance: 4,762
Suites
Quantity: 23 Seats: 16 to 20
Financing
The $61 million cost is much higher than the $40 million expected when the county first signed on to build the venue.
Gwinnett is counting on several sources of revenue to pay off its revenue bond debt, which will total more than $77 million over 30 years. Those revenue sources are: ballpark rental, ticket and parking revenue; selling Naming Rights; county rental car taxes; and contributions from the Gwinnett Convention and Visitors Bureau. Under the deal, the Braves will get to keep substantial portions of ticket and parking revenue and a share of the proceeds from selling the Naming Rights.
The Braves moved to Gwinnett County from Richmond for the 2009 season. The Richmond Braves' three-year contract at The Diamond ran through the 2010 season, but the Braves had the option to pull out after the 2008 season.
The Braves left what one Braves official called the worst ballpark in Triple-A baseball for a new $45 million facility.
Under the agreement in Georgia, the Braves will pay annual rent of $250,000, plus a fee of $1 per ticket sold. The Braves guarantee Gwinnett at least $400,000 annually in ticket fees. The rent, but not the ticket fee, will be adjusted after each five-year period based on the Consumer Price Index.
Aside from the Naming Rights deal and a 50-50 split of parking proceeds with the county, the Braves retain all revenue from games and other team events in the ballpark. That includes ticket and suite sales, advertising signage and concessions.
The Braves are responsible for routine maintenance, such as cleaning, mowing and replacing light bulbs. The Gwinnet County Visitors Bureau is responsible for capital maintenance and repairs – big-ticket items that range from structural components to repainting, from seats to scoreboard.
To pay for capital maintenance and repairs, the GCVB is to keep a capital maintenance fund, which by Dec. 31, 2013, must contain a minimum of $500,000. The contract says that amount is not a limit on Gwinnett's responsibility and that if capital needs arise before Dec. 31, 2013, GCVB also must pay for those.
In 2007, a consulting firm concluded that the Gwinnett County provides “one of the strongest markets in the country to support a minor-league baseball team.” However, the results didn’t fare as well.
A consultant's study estimated the team would average 6,000 to 6,500 fans a game after an initial “honeymoon” period in which attendance might be higher.
In 2009 the team drew an average of 5,858 fans a game – up from 4,455 the previous year when the team played in Richmond, Va.
But the average fell to 4,818 in 2010 and rebounded slightly to 5,084 in 2011.
The Gwinnett Braves ranked 24th out of 30 AAA teams in average attendance in 2011.
The team's poor showing has implications for Gwinnett taxpayers. The county gets $1 for every ticket sold and half the net parking proceeds – money it uses to help repay $33 million borrowed to build the ballpark.
Parking revenue last year was half of the $200,000 the county originally projected in 2008, while ticket revenue was near the $400,000 annual minimum guaranteed in Gwinnett's contract with the Braves.
Gwinnett plans to use hotel-motel tax revenue to make debt payments on the stadium, the newspaper said.
Gwinnett Braves General Manager North Johnson blames the poor economy. He said many season ticket holders didn't renew after 2009.
“We thought (the poor economy) was at its height then,” Johnson said. “It seems we're still waiting for that final straw to drop.”
Johnson cited other factors as well.
While some AAA teams play in the downtowns of large cities, Gwinnett's population of 805,321 is dispersed. Gwinnett residents have more entertainment options than some teams in smaller markets – one of them being the big league Atlanta Braves just 38 miles from Coolray Field, Johnson said.
The Atlanta Braves own the Gwinnett club, and Johnson said the organization benefits no matter which team fans pay to see. But in April 2011, he told the trade publication Baseball America the Gwinnett Braves needed to see a 15 to 20 percent increase in attendance this year or “we have to go back to the drawing board.”
To boost attendance, Johnson said the team is seeking non-baseball events to draw people to the ballpark. It has offered more substantial incentive packages for season ticket holders. It also might offer discounted tickets earlier in the season or on weekdays.
Box seats in the new ballpark cost $500 to $950 per season. (Baseball, Facilities, Financial, Minor League, Professional Sports, Venue)