SPORTS
Donta Wilson, Truist’s chief digital and client experience officer, speaks about the renaming of SunTrust Park to Truist Park. - File
Braves change stadium
name to Truist Park
FACTBOOK 2021 81
By Ryan Kolakowski
Nestled in the heart of Cumberland at the intersection of a
pair of major interstates is Truist Park, the home to the Atlanta
Braves of Major League Baseball.
The stadium, opened as SunTrust Park in 2017, was renamed
to Truist Park ahead of the 2020 baseball season. The team announced
the name change in January 2020 after SunTrust Bank
merged with BB&T to form Truist Financial Corp. The new
name came with new purple “Truist Park” signage to replace the
old SunTrust insignia.
The Braves announced their move to Cobb in November
2013, picking an undeveloped property near the Cobb Galleria
and Cumberland Mall as their new home.
The property remained empty while hotels and office towers
sprouted nearby because multiple gas lines existed below
the surface. The Braves relocated the gas lines before starting
construction on the new stadium. Construction crews logged
more than 5.6 million work-hours over 1,250 days building the
new stadium. The Braves opened the stadium for its first regular
season game when they hosted the San Diego Padres in 2017.
More than 57,000 cubic yards of cement, 602,000 bricks, 6,800
tons of structural steel and 5,640 tons of reinforcing steel went
into the complex.
The finished ballpark includes about 1.1 million square feet
of space and boasts a 120-foot-by-64-foot video scoreboard.
The stadium includes seven guest elevators and more than
41,000 seats.
Stadium amenities include a young fan zone featuring a zip
line, climbing tower, batting cage, interactive carnival-style
games and special concession stands with kid-friendly food and
merchandise.
Monument Garden, located behind home plate on the lower
level of the stadium, is the perfect exhibit for Braves history
buffs. The in-stadium museum features a statue depicting Braves
slugger and legendary Hall of Famer Hank Aaron hitting his
record-breaking 715th home run. Other features of the exhibit
include the Braves Hall of Fame, an interactive display about
Braves retired numbers, a history of Braves jerseys and more.
In 2019, the Braves clinched their second straight division
crown, the club’s 14th east division title and 19th overall division
title. The team was led by outfielder Ronald Acuña Jr., who