Charged up about Braves site

Battery Atlanta brings energy to the newballpark.

atlanta » The Braves’ new ballpark looks like a throwback stadium with its green seats, brickwalls and old- school, intimate feel.

That’s from an initial glance inside the park.

Beyond the stadiumwalls sits the realwowfactor that could be a game- changer for the industry.

Atlanta’s new SunTrust Park is part of a 60- acre complex that will include restaurants, retail shops, residential areas, a four- star hotel and a concert hall. The $ 622 million ballpark is the main attraction, but it is only part ofwhat the Braves are promoting as “the South’s pre- eminent lifestyle destination” — The Battery Atlanta.

Baseball Commissioner RobManfred believes it’s the model for future ballparks.

Manfred toldTheAssociated Press that he views the Braves’ new mixed- use development as a “watershed” event for baseball, “like with Camden Yards in the early ’ 90s.”

“I think the scope of the mixed- use development surrounding the ballpark and the economic opportunity it has created for the club is what people see as revolutionary,” Manfred said Tuesday. “It’s a different era in terms of community financing for facilities.

“I think the kind of mixed- use development the Braves have done at SunTrust Park provides a roadmap for clubs to get new stadiums built.”

Baltimore’s Camden Yards created a wave of throwback stadiums in baseball when it opened in 1992. Manfred said the Braves’ park will be copied by other teams.

St. Louis, Boston and Los Angeles are among other cities that havemade it easy for fans to dine, shop and even live in complexes that include sports venues. Manfred said the Braves took the concept to a new level.

“There has never been something this massive around a baseball stadium and it’s really an amazing accomplishment,” Manfred said.