What a difference a day makes. The picture (or, future Steven Spielberg epic, just pick a metaphor) of the Turner Field bidding process is coming into focus. Georgia State University and Mercury Youth Organization have both opened up a bit about their potential visions for the stadium site. And they couldn't be more disparate.
Neither organization has released their full proposals but spokespeople from each have been open to questions. GSU, for it's part, confirmed for WXIA it submitted two project options in its proposal. Each version contains a plan for two sports stadiums, plus student housing and retail. One would reuse The Ted as a football stadium and add a baseball stadium at the former Atlanta Fulton County Stadium site. The second version would reuse Turner Field as a mixed-use development and place two new fields at the north end of the site. The second version was the result of the university's discussions with local community groups.
The proposal from Mercury Youth Organization, a 43-year-old youth track and field club, includes a retractable-roof basketball stadium with an indoor track, a new baseball field, a 40-story residential tower and new retail, according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
Mayor Kasim Reed said three other organizations expressed interest in the Turner Field site, but failed to submit proposals, according to WXIA. Two were casino organizations, and Reed said he personally told each that he would not support their proposals as a result of feedback from the community. The third went unidentified, but Reed said they may have been scared away by community criticism during the bidding process. When asked whether his own vocal support for the GSU plan could have pushed away potential bidders, Reed told reporters, "Large complex organizations (don't) function that way."
· Cue Speculation! Turner Field Sought by Mystery Bidders [Curbed]
· Georgia State: Build two new stadiums at Turner Field [WXIA]
· Georgia State, two smaller groups bid for Turner Field [AJC]
· Reed: 3 big firms passed on Turner Field bidding [WXIA]
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