Braves won’t be in Palm Beach

It appears Palm Beach County has struck out on becoming the spring training home of the Atlanta Braves.

The team has decided it will train in Sarasota County starting in 2019, according to a press release issued by the county and team officials.

“We appreciate the patience of all parties during this process,” Braves Chairman and CEO Terry McGuirk said in the news release. “This is the perfect location for our team.”

Sarasota County Administrator Tom Harmer said a lot of work remains to be done to finalize the deal, but the announcement represents a “major step forward in the efforts to bring the Braves” to Florida’s west coast. Officials envision building a spring training complex as part of a planned community in North Port.

The Braves were eyeing John Prince Park in Lake Worth as a possible site. But Palm County Officials say they didn’t have tourism development tax dollars readily available for incentives, and some neighbors voiced concern about building a stadium in a county park.

Palm Beach County Commissioner Steven Abrams said the county invested significant tourismdevelopment tax dollars into building the Ballpark of the Palm Beaches, which will serve as the spring training home of the Houston Astros and Washington Nationals. Two other teams — the St. Louis Cardinals and the Miami Marlins — train at Roger Dean Stadium in Jupiter.

“It is always tough to lose out to another county, but we are welcoming two new teams in addition to our two existing teams,” Abrams said.

Commissioner Dave Kerner, whose district includes the proposed site, said he would have been hesitant to use property tax dollars to help fund the construction of a stadium.

“We have large and very important priorities the County Commission must deal with from the Sheriff ’s Office to the heroin epidemic that need immediate attention,” he said.

The Astros and Nationals will play the first game at the Ballpark of the Palm Beaches on Feb. 22.