Board of Regents approves construction of new GSU baseball facility, honoring Hank Aaron's legacy
The Georgia State Panthers released this rendering of a proposed baseball stadium in Downtown Atlanta. (Georgia State University)
ATLANTA - The Georgia State Panther Baseball team could soon have a new home in Downtown Atlanta after the Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia gave the go-ahead to construct a new baseball stadium on its campus.
This approval, announced following the Board's monthly meeting on Tuesday, marks a significant step forward for the university's athletic program.
The planned 1,000-seat stadium will replace the current location of Georgia State's Green Lot along Pollard Boulevard, a site steeped in local sports history as it includes the footprint of the former Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium. The relocation from the existing facility, situated 12 miles away in Panthersville, aims to bring the baseball program closer to the central campus.
With a budget set at $15.85 million, funding for the project will come from a combination of GSU Athletic Association gifts and reserves, as well as Foundation funds and gifts. The design and construction phases are set to proceed in accordance with the Board of Regents procedures, targeting a completion date in February 2026, just in time for the new season.
Charlie Cobb, Director of Athletics at GSU, expressed his gratitude and excitement about the project: "We thank the Board of Regents and staff for their support. There is a lot of work ahead, but this is a very exciting day for Georgia State Athletics. A new, modern facility on campus, accessible to our students and fans and convenient for our student-athletes, will be a tremendous boost to the baseball program."
In addition to enhancing the sports facilities, the project will also honor baseball legend Hank Aaron. The statue of Aaron, currently situated in the entry plaza at Center Parc Credit Union Stadium, will be moved to the new site in tribute to his record-breaking 715th home run, famously hit at Atlanta Fulton-County Stadium on April 8, 1974.
The new stadium is a key component of Georgia State University’s master plan and its strategic initiative for placemaking. Positioned just north of the Center Parc Credit Union Stadium and south of the new GSU Convocation Center, the stadium will be a part of an emerging 'athletics village'. This cluster of sports facilities is acting as a catalyst for the redevelopment of the surrounding Summerhill neighborhood.
"We have been great stewards of our relationship with the Summerhill community, and the baseball facility is the next step," said Cobb. "Once this project is completed, we will start the process to move the softball facility downtown, further solidifying our commitment to enhancing our athletic infrastructure and supporting our student-athletes."