Stadium deal could have Falcons back outside by 2017
Falcons owner Arthur Blank, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell and Ravens owner Steve Bisciotti. (D. Orlando Ledbetter/DLedbetter@ajc.com)
The Falcons cleared a major hurdle today in their quest for a new outdoor stadium.
The Georgia World Congress Center Authority and the team have entered into one of those “memorandum of understanding” about the project.
Here is the stadium that Falcons provided to the AJC about the matter.
“The Georgia World Congress Center Authority commissioned and has received the results of the study performed by Populous regarding the potential for a new stadium on the Authority’s campus.
“The Authority has shared the report with us as part of our joint exploration of development options. The report addresses a number of topics that will be considered by the Authority and the Falcons as planning discussions move forward.
“We appreciate the Authority’s diligence in working through this process in a thorough and thoughtful manner. We continue to have open dialogue with the Authority on a range of topics and options, with the shared goal of working toward an agreement that is in the best interests of the community, our fans and all other stakeholders involved. At this point, no decisions have been made; therefore, we will have no further public comment at this time.”
Here is the news story on the stadium.
Check out the master plan, here.
Bundle up y’all, the Falcons could be back outside by the 2017 season.
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372 comments Add your comment
Atlanta
February 27th, 2011
11:19 am
Build what ever you want as long as it’s the falcons money. The tax payer of Atlanta don’t need two stadiums.Sound like another clueless OBAMA spending plan. Talk about stupidity!
Mike
February 27th, 2011
11:21 am
Arthur Blank & the Falcons are holding the City of Atlanta hostage over the new stadium. Just as many other pro franchise owners have threatened to move their team if they don’t get a new stadium, the Blank train is doing the same. Why not take the money needed for the stadium & put it to work on infrastructure improvements? This makes too much sense so it won’t happen. Go ahead Atlanta, cave to the wants of a millionaire owner.
Susie
February 27th, 2011
11:29 am
Sure, why not….just use not one dollar other than Mr. Blank’s. He wants it, he pays for it and he builds it. NO public monies in any way shape or form.
mike
February 27th, 2011
11:33 am
D Led: about the TV blackouts. I am hearing that if the NFL goes into a lockout next week and games are not played the NFL still gets paid from the TV networks. Is this true???? If it is then how can Goodell say that the NFL makes no money on teams that do not sell out their home games? This is in direct conflict with what is going to happen if there are no games this year.
Georgian
February 27th, 2011
11:43 am
If he wants it, let HIM build it. There is enough burden on the tax payers.
Frank Davis
February 27th, 2011
11:59 am
If the Falcons and its ownership want, and I say want, a new stadium, they should fully foot the bill with NO public section funds. If you want a new house, do you expect the government to offset the cost of your house? End of story.
Paul's Johnson
February 27th, 2011
12:28 pm
I’m all for it….as long as Arthur and not the taxpayers of Atlanta, Fulton and Georgia are paying for it.
Larry
February 27th, 2011
1:09 pm
Gator Guy, you are truly an intellectual giant. Ever hear of a personal preference or opinion? Good thing this is an anonymous forum.
gkingii
March 1st, 2011
8:01 pm
It’s laughable that somebody turns this into political hate diatribe against Republicans. Nearly as laughable as the idea of building a new open air stadium.
JohnnyReb
March 1st, 2011
8:01 pm
A new stadium for the Falcons? LOL, you have to be kidding.
Marcus in Ellenwood
March 1st, 2011
8:04 pm
Let me get this straight. Blank wants to spend $700 million dollars so he can get a more money for his luxury boxes? Hell No Arthur! The Dome is a great building. When it’s to hot outside, the dome is cool. When it’s to cold outside the dome is warm. When it wet out, it’s dry in. Football is Football inside or out, lets no waste $700 mill; the Dome if fine. If you don’t attend Falcon games because of the GA Dome, do us a favor and jump out of the nearest window.
dawg
March 1st, 2011
8:08 pm
It didn’t work before.. Why would it work now!!!!!!!!!!!!!
chas
March 1st, 2011
8:12 pm
Personally I really dislike the Dome for the Falcons. I am glad that we have it so that we can draw the big events, but I hate it for football. I used to go to the games all the time in Fulton County Stadium, but I have been to only a few in the Dome. I don’t want to spend a beautiful 70 degree fall day inside when I should be outside. I really really want an open air stadium and I will go to many games if they do.
Iceman
March 1st, 2011
8:20 pm
A new stadium is the absolute last thing the Falcons need right now. The heck with what Goodell says.
josh
March 1st, 2011
8:23 pm
An outdoor stadium would be AMAZING!!!!!!
Jay
March 1st, 2011
8:26 pm
It would be awesome! I just don’t want a penny of public money to go into it.
GOPACKGO
March 1st, 2011
8:54 pm
NO NEW STADIUM UNTIL YOU GET A RING!
jon
March 1st, 2011
9:00 pm
morons,
A stadium out of downtown, really? 1st, do you for one second think the peach bowl, final four, SEC Championship, Super Bowl or any other high profile event wants to be or will be hosted in Doraville?? Why don’t we just give our events to Tampa and Charlotte? 2nd, when the world has its eyes on ATL during these events even with all the problems downtown has, would you want the world to associate our city with the sights of Doraville, perhaps the brandmart USA or the bustling city and one of the best skylines in the country? Now the best scenario would be a site near MARTA in midtown but there just isn’t enough land.
ooneal
March 1st, 2011
9:00 pm
Been a Falcons fan since 1966. Used to a be a season ticket holder, til they moved into the dome. First year they were there in 1992??? Myself and my buddies decided enough was enough. Atlanta is suitable for an open air stadium. We need a nice stadium like the Titans or the Panthers. All you that complain about the climate and all the bull?? TAKE A HIKE; My guess is, you don’t spend money on the Falcons anyway. I’m all for an open air stadium. FOOTBALL IS TO BE PLAYED OUTDOORS.
Bob
March 1st, 2011
9:04 pm
The Republicans in the state house can pay for this if they want.
Oh, but if you do, don’t ever again give me this “fiscal responsibility” stuff — you forfeit any right to cut teacher salaries or screw over students or eliminate scholarships or pull anything else to “balance the budget.” (You also forfeit, for that matter, any right to raise my taxes — though you can tax the rich more if you want. It seems only fair if you’re giving them free stadiums.)
If you’re going to blow this much money on a stadium — knowing full well that the economic benefit from this sort of thing is always non-existent — then don’t ever again get to talk to me about budget cuts or fiscal sanity or anything else. If you don’t have money to pay for basic services and the next generation’s education, THEN YOU DON’T HAVE MONEY TO PAY FOR THIS. If you have money to pay for this, then you have money to pay for education.
Now, if Blank can pay for it, great. But we shouldn’t.
Tim
March 1st, 2011
9:04 pm
I am old enough to remember Falcons games and the Peach Bowl (now Chick-Fil-A) prior to the Dome being in existence. The stadium was Atlanta-Fulton County and admittedly you were playing football in a baseball stadium. The thing that sticks most in my mind is the awful weather. It would not be snowing, but by December/January the weather is rainy and cool or cold. No one would enjoy the games and the field was a mud pit. The main reason the Super Bowl has not returned to the Dome is that the last time it was here, there was an Ice Storm and it paralyzed the city. The Dome is perfectly fine in size and it is still a pretty inovative arena. The Peach Bowl has dramatically improved every yeat in the Dome and the SEC Championship just extended its contract. Why? Because the facility is the nicest in an Southeast and it is climate controlled. Build a new open air facility and the Super Bowl may come here and play in it once. When all the celebrities get cold, they’ll complain about why it was ever scheduled here and it will never come back. Just look at Dallas. Nicest stadium in the league, but because of the snow, it will have trouble getting the Super Bowl to come back. Stick some money in the Dome to improve it and move on.
Bob
March 1st, 2011
9:07 pm
By the way, the people saying that this isn’t really public money because the Georgia Dome was funded by hotel/motel taxes…huh? Those taxes could have been used for something else, you know. Money…it’s fungible. A dollar saved on one thing can be spent on something else.