Does Atlanta need a new stadium? No, but it’s getting one

first

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I hope this isn’t the best news for the Falcons this week. Would rather it be that they righted the ship and beat defending Super Bowl Champs.

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Dang… third?

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The dome is just fine. If they want to build a new one, fine. If they want to be friendly to their fans fine, then they need to make the seating better. Right now if you weigh more than 100 lbs, your squished between your neighbors. That’s my only beef.

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This is an outrage to the people of Georgia We do not need a new stadium

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Will it a Victoria Secret or a Fredericks of Hollywood inside?

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this whole thing is just stupidity to me (the idea of a new stadium, not your article). Let the Falcons walk away. Don’t believe for a second that Blank will uproot team and his operations to another city. Wish GWCCA would play hardball with them.

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Education is a need in Georgia…….but hey the Republican’s are in charge….so screw education.

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Yup – at a time when tourism is struggling, the infinitely wise Atlanta city council is going to increase taxes on tourists to replace a 20 yr old perfectly modern Domed Stadium (take that, Green Bay fans!) with a newer, fancier dome. Can’t afford to pay teachers, firefighters, or provide save roads or fix sewers, but we can afford to build a Billionaire a new play fort for his kids. All I can say is it’s time to relocate to a different state.

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I say build it and let the hotel/motel tax pay for it.

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One more thing, the Hotel/Motel tax is NOT going to be allocated for anything other than tourism…..so folks can leave the “we need to spend more on education out of this”.

Last time I checked, if your “public” school isn’t good enough, there are a lot of Private options.

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@Vel Crow

Turner Field will be 20 years old in 2016, what happens if Liberty Media makes a case that they need a new venue MB?
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I think they are next in line and it wouldnt surprise me to see them head for the suburbs..

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Will somebody please tell me why Atlanta has to have a new stadium to get another Super Bowl but that 45 year old skank hole in New Orleans can still get them. Please, Please Please tell me.

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I am a huge sports fan and a democrat who is not against taxing for legitimate causes. This simply is not needed.

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Doraville to the rescue: Yeah, just what that non-MARTA stop area of town needs—another traffic generator. And don’t give me the argument about buses ferrying people from the nearest station.

The way I see it, the only problem with this deal is that the new stadium will not sit practically on top of a MARTA station like the Georgia Dome does providing an alternative means of transportation even if you would (like I do) prefer to drive.

Get with the program people! Facts are our friends and here are the facts:

1) The Georgia Dome is not ‘old’ but it is out-of-date
2) A retractable roof stadium with dozens of corporate suites and all the latest in high tech features is what’s needed for the next 20-30 years if you want to remain a player in the NFL, host other major sporting events (Super Bowl, Chik-Fil-A Bowl, NCAA College Basketball Final Four, College Football Season Opening Games, etc.) and support all types of convention events.
3) The City of Atlanta hotel/motel tax falls squarely 99% of the time on tourists and visitors – not residents
4) Spending the hotel/motel tax on “something else” is not currently legally possible and was never going to happen anyway and wishing it was not going to make it so. The only other option was for the tourist tax being eliminating which makes no fiscal sense as it would only benefit non-residents.

This is the best outcome if you want to keep your NFL franchise and want to keep the Georgia World Congress Center competitive in the convention hosting business.

LET’S GO FALCONS!

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MB where have you been?

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Ticket price will go up!!!! Count on it. Wonder how ticket sells will be if Ryan is on the down side of his career by then? This is BS ,why not let the hotel money go for better hospitals and schools?

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I blame no one but the voters of this State and the rest of the country. You put these stupid idiots in office and every election you reelect them. When you vote for them you know they are only for the rich but you still vote for them. So which one of you guys is stupid. Surely not the elected officials who decided it is better to build a stadium than fix the education and medical care needs of this state. Perhaps it might be those who voted for them and will continue to vote for them. The US is one of the few countries where the people accept whatever is given to them.

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Same old Atlanta sky high crime, sky high commute times, crappy schools Grady is broke but Mr. Blank he need a new stadium for his toy. Remember when he was the hero of the ten dollar ticket? Seat taxes of around 2500 a seat and then you will be shuffled and your season ticket will be much worse than where you sit now. Have we forgotten the super bowl seat promise and the people locked out without a ticket. Have we forgotten the way the Braves revamped prives and seat locations which moved 25 year season ticket holders much farther from the field of play ? Fans be prepared for a good screwing and remeber without a receipt you can only get a store credit.

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More money won’t ‘further education’, so don’t worry about that.

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Comment to those saying that we cannot allocate the hotel tax to other uses. I say, sorry but that argument does not fly unless you think the GA legislature has shut down. This is simply current law, which can be changed and when $300 million is at issue, changing the law does not seem like such a big deal.

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Mark,

I’m very concerned $300M in taxpayer money will get spent without a public referendum. The idea it’s a tax on non-Atlantans is a sham. Most hotel travelers are businessmen, consultants, lawyers, and company employees that bill those expenses right back to the companies here in Atlanta paying for them. This leads to lower profits, less corporate jobs, and a desire for companies to move their headquarters to more tax friendly locations (e.g., Alpharetta or outside of GA). Or worse, this is a tax on pay by the week/month motels that attract customers without the income or credit to secure a full apartment – I’m sure the type of people we want to subsidize Arthur Blank. This thing stinks and it got crammed down Atlantans throats without a single say in the matter.

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Actually Turner Field was paid for by Olympic tickets and then at the end as he promised Ted Turner wrote a check for whatever shortfall there was to cdconvert the Olympic stadium for baseball only.He paid from personal funds not government not Braves personal funds of 27 Million Dollars. Its why its clled Turner Field and why the new Falcons dome will not be called Blank Field.

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“The Falcons stand to foot 70 percent of the $1 billion it will take to erect a new stadium, with public money – roughly $300 million from a hotel-motel tax that affects mostly non-Georgians – making up the difference.”

I agree that’s not a bad deal, Mark. A new stadium benefits the entire metro area.

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What a waste of money.

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Somebody Please Tell me,

New Orleans is a party destination that sometimes hosts big conventions and events. Atlanta is a convention/event city that sometimes has a big party.

New Orleans tried to get a new stadium to the point that the Saints were threatening to leave, then Katrina happened and priorities got reshuffled. The Superdome got a facelift but I’m not sure how long that’s going to satisfy the owners. Supposedly the Saints are still working on a new stadium deal.

Back to Atlanta…people love Atlanta. You might hear locals OTP bash on Atlanta but everyone else seems to enjoy coming here. Businesses love setting up shop here. People love moving here. There is money flowing through Atlanta and that means more money can be squeezed out to build a new stadium. Atlanta is subject to the same game as everyone else but because Atlanta can afford it for many reasons, our timeline is accelerated. We’re replacing a 20 year old stadium instead of a 45 year old stadium.

Crazy but I’ll deal with it.

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Vote the bums out! Oh wait, they weren’t elected.

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Yeah, Ted Turner is a real saint bill. He used his influence to have his old company sell the Hawks/Thrashers to his son, son-in-law, and their associates after another buyer on more solid financial footing had already been lined up. Then his son, son-in-law, and their associates ran the Thrashers into the ground and sold them to an out-of-town buyer.

Yep, Ted Turner is a saint.

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2010 Super Bowl was played in Miami Gardens. Stadium was built in 1987. 2003 SB was played in Qualcom Stadium built in 1967. Why does Roger G. say that a new stadium is needed in Atlanta to host the SB? We hosted in 2000. What has changed?

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It ought to be open air and it ought to be near the practice Facility they have. Never happen, but that’s what ought to happen. How much of Arthur’s money going towards it? Zero I’m sure.

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Hotel-motel taxes ostensibly go to fund projects that bring in more tourists and visitors and not go toward the everyday operations of governments. Sales tax revenues are ticketed to capital projects (buildings, bridges, etc.) and do not go toward everyday maintenance and operations costs. Yet.

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Giants, Patriots, several super bowls combine, do you hear them asking for a new stadium? talking about priorities in Georgia, Falcons one trip to the super bowl ever, sports writers in other states would be laughing the Falcons out of the city, with this non sense.

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[...] Does Atlanta need a new stadium? No, but it's getting one On Monday, the man charged with making the Falcons (Atlanta)' pitch for a new stadium actually made a case for the current one. “We don't need a building to play in next Sunday,” team president Rich McKay said. “The Georgia Dome is a good building. Read more on Atlanta Journal Constitution (blog) [...]

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Why does the GWCC have to be involved?
Why does the new stadium have to be downtown?

The location of the Dome is horrible.
tailgating is terrible. The “Gameday experience” is so poor, it keeps me away from going to Falcons games now.
Locating a new venue south of where it is now will only make it worse.

Why is it no one talks about this? It is the elephant in the room and Falcons are about to ensure a poor “Gameday experience” for the next 30+ years.

I don’t think it’s a coincidence the GWCC board approved this deal in what 30 seconds? It screams politics. It’s screams somebodies gettin paid.

And the ACTUAL Falcons fan get’s screwed.

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Who will pay for the improvements to the streets around the new stadium? the sidewalks? the rail? the buses?

That’s right. It won’t be the Falcons. It won’t even be the hotel bed tax. It will be the property owners right here in Fulton County paying their property taxes.

And the republicans say they don’t want to raise taxes. LOL!!!!

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All that mony for a new building for a team that can’t win a playoff game.

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Yes we can build a new stadium. This will bring Major League Soccer to the ATL. Soccer, soccer, soccer, baby. Whoo hooo. I think it’s great, and I can’t wait.

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So the details have been worked out. How EXACTLY will the Falcons provide the $700 million? Bet it’s not cash.

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Is there any way the people of Atlanta (actual tax paying citizens) get to vote on this? Without a doubt, our money is going to pay for it no matter what excuses they come up with. I hate this idea, I love the Dome. I’ve been to probably 25 football games at the Dome and it is a fine place to watch football. It’s not a craphole like the SuperDome in New Orleans. It’s a nice place.

I cannot believe it will be torn down in a few years. That is such a waste of capital. Why not sell the Dome to Arthur Blank and make moeny on that transaction? He can then rent it out as he pleases and modify it to how he wants to use it. Let’s face it – NFL games in August, September and sometimes October can be hot. Games in December can be cold. I don’t want to sit out in the rain on a cold day to watch the Falcons.

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Democrats were in charge of education until 1996 and education was in the toilet then. Democrats still are in control of education, most teachers are Democrats and education in Georgia is still in the toilet with something floating in there also. Their educational curriculum.

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Can we keep the Fox Theatre?

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This should be the rallying cry for Democrats, if they are smart. THIS is being fiscally conservative? What a joke. This is hopefully the final nail in the coffin for Deal’s re-election. And, for a team that, after yesterday, looks more and more like a one and done playoff team. I’m hoping we win the big game (or at least get a chance to play in it), but this new stadium is just insane with the other problems going on in all of Georgia (let alone Atlanta).

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The Falcons can move to Los Angeles this is highway robbery.

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Citizen’s input is given by electing officials whom we give the power to make decisions. This issue has been discussed for years now. The people in charge do not read these blogs.

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@Raise those Tourism Taxes, Again: They’re not raising the tourism tax, that tax has been in place for decades to pay for the Georgia Dome. They’re just putting it towards the new stadium. But don’t let facts get in the way!

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An all-corporate-suite stadium; keeps out the riff-raff and the cost of the leases are written off as a “necessary’ business expense. …this is America 2012, and people accept it.

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I always enjoyed coming to Atlanta and staying downtown for Falcon events, etc. Mr. Blank the hotel/motel tax is already high enough. I anticipate you will increase that tax. You are bleeding dry middle class Georgians who would like to partake of the downtown experience. Sooner or later, there won’t be enough rich people to enjoy your new stadium for you to make a profit. You are trying to make the middle class citizens of Georgia pay for your stadium. Guess we won’t be going to any more games. It also makes it easier to just stay outside of Atlanta in a hotel.

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Jedcvampet

you are an idiot. republicans have been in office for years. what the hell did they do about eduation other than cut off funds. wake up fool! you republicans have no clue about what the americanpublic needs, and your comments do not belong here. i only answered this becaus you tick meoff w/your selfish attitude.

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The old bait & switch. “The Falcons will pay 70%”. No they won’t…the Falcons will end up paying about 20%, with the other 50% made up in increased ticket prices, concessions, parking, etc. Look at the stadium they built in DC…they sell tickets for $100 minimum in sections where you cant even see the field!!! I actually like the Dome, was excited as a kid when they were building it b/c it was “cutting-edge and innnovative” but now it’s not serviceable?? And that’s coming from a league that used to play their games in BASEBALL STADIUMS!!! All of this to attract a non-guaranteed “Super Bowl” even though New Orleans gets one every 2-3 years in that dump ass stadium. Blank’s whole business is rooted here, no way he moves the Falcons. I say we protest and petition our local cronies to do something about this. But we won’t…just like they won’t.

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Why not build it at the old GM factory in Doraville? There are big tax incentives and GM might even pay to have it named GM Stadium. Then you could just lease or sell the Dome or demolish it and make something else.

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I thought GA was a RED state, T-Party headqtrs. I’m sure the GA legislature will put an end to this. You have to borrow money from the feds to balance your state budget and you still owe money to the feds for unemployment payments. Tell me this aint so. Just ask the tax payers in Gwinnett how’s the Braves AAA stadium is working out.

Arthur is a MULTI-BILLIONAIRE and he’s looking for handouts from the peasants. Hmmmm, did Bernie ask for handouts when he built the aquarium ?? But then again, this is the same city that wanted to tear down the Fox. Blew up the omni….just because. Why not blow up spaghetti junction….hell it’s older than the dome.

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This is only a good thing if the new stadium isn’t in the ghetto.

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You people are late on this Doraville thing. The city already shot down the idea of a new stadium back in 2009!

http://atlantaunfiltered.com/2009/10/21/doraville-says-no-to-new-falcons-stadium-on-gm-site/

This is part of the reason why every report you see these days has the new stadium narrowed down to 2 choices near the current Dome.

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Does Atlanta have to keep up with Jerry Jones ?

Lambeau Field in Green Bay was built in 1957.

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@Susan Peebles: They’re not increasing the hotel/motel tax, they’re just using it for a different stadium.

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Newer is always better. That’s why I’ve been married so many times!

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The 300 million of public(or $750 for every man, woman and child in Atlanta, or $30 for every Georgian) is just another example of how the ruling big capitalists divert our money to their own pockets.
I’ve never been to the Georgia Dome, couldn’t name a current professional athlete, and couldn’t care less if the Falcons moved to Doraville, or Idaho for that matter.
Just what do I get for my diverted tax dollars?

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if this boondoggle is allowed to go thru and any taxpayer money is involved (even a bed tax “paid for by visitors”), the crook deal will be further exposed. maybe even enough to wake up the ignorant voters in this state that elected him. he’s already taken away lanes on our interstate highways paid for by our taxes and now rented to the rich folks who can afford them. and appointed bout 8 of his legislature buddies to 6 figure salaries with benefits, none of them qualified and all of them in financial need. new stadium my a__ , this sad state is scraping the bottom in education and refuses to help the needy with minimal health care!!!!!

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There’s sooooooo much I could say about looking at that photo at the top.
On well, not the place and time.

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Your ‘unanswerable’ question regarding ballplayers vs. schoolteachers is actually dead simple to answer. Supply vs. Demand. Economics 101.

What you Mark Bradley seem to be pining for in your assertion that the income disparity is ‘unanswerable’ is known as ‘communism’.

It’s bad enough that sports writers call themselves journalists. But for God’s sake stay out of politics. You aren’t qualified to address those issues.

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“but the edifice will remain the property of the state of Georgia”

yeah, so the falcons don’t have to pay property tax on it, duh.

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A stadium is one of the WORST public investments any government entity can undertake. There are numerous economic studies published out there that give specifics on just how bad this investment is (check out the Cato Institute and search on “public stadiums.”) The ONLY beneficiaries of this investment are the sports franchise owner and the sports league itself, which sees the value of its franchise dramatically increase.

And as for the asinine “out of towners will pay” argument, most of those folks will be Georgia residents. Further, if you are going to collect the $300M, there are many better ways to invest that money for economic development.

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@DEAinATL, you tax dollars aren’t going to towards this dome unless you stay in a hotel. READ THE ARTICLE.

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By all means, build your billion dollar stadium in the cesspool of the state of Georgia.

Go north Mr. Blank.

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Buzzed — you are ann obama follower…. Right? OK explain… We have the right to impose a hotel/motel tax in Atlanta like any other city… We can take that money and improve roads, sidewalks, schools, transportation, …. or we can use it to build a new dome for AB. Ok we build the dome….

Now the roads, sidewalks, schools, transportation, …. still needs to be fixed… Who gets the tax for these…. More Hotel Motel taxes?? No, the citizens of Atlanta.

So now who is going to pay for the unnecessary stadium. You ultimately will.

This is just like saying we got a GRANT to do some project. Where does it come from??? Taxes.

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this is horse shirt.

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If you think Atlanta is a dump, you haven’t traveled to enough cities. The “city” you live in is probably a glorified cul-de-sac, or you just believe the horror stories that your neighbors tell. Do us a favor and stay out of our beautiful city.

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Stadiums in Green Bay and Chicago aren’t hosting Super Bowls folks.

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Will somebody please tell me why Atlanta has to have a new stadium to get another Super Bowl but that 45 year old skank hole in New Orleans can still get them. Please, Please Please tell me.

Easy. More hookers.

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buzzed – You win a $10,000 scratch off and you 30 year roof is leaking.

You didnt work for this money, it was given to you for (yea for $1.00) .

Now are you going to fix the roof or go on a month long cruise and borrow the money next month to fix the roof?

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New Orleans is a tourist destination moreso than Atlanta. It’s pretty easy to see really. They have more fun things to do around the stadium by far than Atlanta.

New Orleans is one of the best party spots in America. Atlanta is a Delta Hub that is becoming better known for music and movie making.

Is what it is.

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Can the potholes and sewers be repaired after the new stadium is built?

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I’m not sure why people are opposed to this. There’s virtually no cost (so far) for local folks in taxes because the city’s contribution comes from a hotel/rental car tax which unless you are staying in a hotel or renting a car in the city that you live in (dumb) you won’t get dinged by it. Then the NFL is pitching in some of the money and the Falcons will pay the rest and any overages. Plus it will create construction jobs and might result in more jobs in the new stadium for those suites and more consession stands. And on top of that there will be at least one Super Bowl (if not more) and the potential to secure BCS national title games and/or upgrade the Chik-fil-a Bowl to a BCS destination. That all spells more revenue spent locally.

So what exactly is the down side for Atlanta?

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I mean really, Walk Kasim Reed through his downtown by the stadium, and then go to San Diego or New Orleans or Boston or New York or Chicago etc.

We have the worst out of stadium experience in the entire nation. Atlanta is one of the most poorly planned cities in America. It’s not Mayor Reeds fault, morso that of his predecessors, but the goverment of this city between 1960 and 1980 when they built these stadiums and Marta was just pathetic.

They didn’t get ANYTHING right.

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I should say up until 2000.

Marta STILL doesn’t go to the baseball stadium 1996. SMH.

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Build the stadium in Athens and you can consolidate loser fanbases into one convenient locale…

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Quote: “To their credit, Poe and associates forged a not-terrible solution. The Falcons stand to foot 70 percent of the $1 billion it will take to erect a new stadium, with public money”

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This is pure spin and as usual with spinning, not the whole truth nor as good as they’re making it out to be.

In reality the Falcon’s organization will probably foot less than half of the new buildings cost out of their pocket. The public is on the hook for $300M, and I have to believe PSL’s, paid for my the fans, will cover at least another $250M, and almost certainly more. That leaves the Falcon’s to cover $450M or so at most (and I’m sure they’ll lower that even more with naming rights and other advertising). In the end the Falcon’s will probably end up paying less than 40% of the bill AND they also get to keep 100% of the revenue while the public and fans get zero. Gee that sounds like a real winner for the community!

I don’t mind public funds being used (to a point), and while I don’t like them I understand PSL’s are here to stay. But they shouldn’t get to use BOTH to minimize the amount of money they’re on the hook for while at the same time keeping ALL the revenue. You want us to foot 50+% of the bill? Provide the public with some of the revenue stream.

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what a complete waste..not a bad seat in the Georgia Dome..its state of the art seats 72,000 ..but Atlanta is in decline,bad sidewalks,horribletraffic,high crime ,a feeling of not being safe,low paying jobs,high unemployment,racal division,a look of blight and starting to resemble Detroit,bumpy roads downtown that will ruin the front end of your car,homless folks,poor folks from the slums of the north invading the area thus ruining what little quality of life left,poor education system,water issues,poor subway system that needs to be expanded..AND YOU WANNA BUILD A BILLION DOLLAR STADIUM????????????WHILE NEW ORLEANS UGLY AND VERY SMELLY..CONCRETE CONTRAPTION BUILT IN 1975 GETS A SUPER BOWL ???WOW !!!WHAT A FREAKIN WASTE TO TEAR DOWN A PERFECTLY GOOD BUILDING IN THE GEORGIA DOME

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” Roger Goodell promised us that Atlanta will never house another Super Bowl in the Georgia Dome”

I didn’t remember that the NFL denied us another Super Bowl because they didn’t like the Dome.

I thought it was because there was a huge winter storm that year that shut down Atlanta traffic and city services — a storm that a more northern cities would (presumably) have been better able to deal with.

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Atlanta needs a new stadium. The Georgia Dome is a *very* depressing place to watch a football game (compared to other stadiums around the country). At the same time, more & more people prefer to watch sports on TV….to keep folks in the stadiums, you need a place that is an attraction.

It is what it is.

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… I think there is a Marta stop in Doraville, right next to the old GM site.

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Another thing Mark, in your article on Louisville to the ACC, a fine piece of anti-ACC propaganda which I’m sure had nothing to do with your Kentucky ties, you said this:

“Mark Blaudschun, formerly of the Boston Globe, wrote last week that the Big Ten considered Georgia Tech and Maryland but Jim Delany preferred the latter. Delany considers — this according to Blaudschun — Atlanta an SEC market.”

Ok, here’s the source for him “writing” that. His blog.

http://ajerseyguy.com/?p=3604

Nowhere in there does he say Delany said that, he said the conference felt that. And THAT, was just his opinion, he never cited a source. The whole article is just an opinion piece. Not once in that article does he state that he spoke to Delany, or anyone else in the B1G.

So you misconstrued a line, in the middle of an opinion piece, on a blog to make the statement that Jim Delany thinks yadda yadda yadda.

You’re stretching that article so much that corn-syrup is coming out.

Take a blog, shape it to fit your narrative, and publish it in a major paper?

What the heck passes for journalism these days… If you hate the ACC and GT so much, just be a man and say it. Furman Bisher is rolling over in his grave.

BTW Louisville has the biggest budget for it’s athletic department than any existing ACC school. They were top 10 in football for most of the year. Multiple SEC schools just failed to pry away their head coach. Joining the ACC is a massive boon to them. But you just keep sitting on all that.

Keep your SEC football. We sleep good at night knowing there are no Jan Kemps around the corner.

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It’s sad to me that nowadays 20 years is considered “the long term”. The Dome is just fine. And if they make an open-air stadium they will lose millions in revenue from Battle of the Bands and other concerts. The Dome works because it is enclosed and can house many different events, that can’t be done in the elements. And the fact is, not enough people care about the Falcons to fill the brand new seats every Sunday. God forbid we actually improve the roads and other infrastructure around Atlanta, no, we need a new multi-billion dollar stadium!

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The debt on the current dome is still at $100 million dollars and somebody will still owe $53 million dollars on the dome in 2017. This debt is backed by Hotel/Motel taxes, so what happens to this debt when the State of Ga floats another $300 million bond issue to be paid back with Hotel/Motel taxes. Also, it’s pretty much a shame to raze a building that over $50 million is still owed on.

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Compared to other NFL stadiums, the area around the Dome is not safe for the general public, traffic is terrible, and parking is non-existent. Riding Marta? To each its own! I don’t believe the Dome should be replaced, but the area around it should be improved.

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An UTTER waste of our money. WASTE!

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Thank you Mr. Blank. The entire time I was thinking if the Falcons will pay for it w/ their own money and not the taxpayers, then it’s a good idea. The only concern now is the price of season tickets. We’ve been season-ticket holders since ‘06 and have been through the Falcons at the best and worst. If those prices stay where they are now, I’m perfectly fine with it.

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Completely unnecessary but this is America and $$$ has always trumped just about anything in our Republic.

If you have enough, you get your way. (Unless you’re Mitt Romney).

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DECATUR JOE

December 10th, 2012
2:26 pm

How much is the seat license fee going to be per year?

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Joe,

PSL’s are a 1-time fee. It’s a fee for you to have the right to then pay for season tickets every year.

As to PSL costs, I’m going to bet they’ll be priced similar to the PSL’s Carolina implemented. Currently upper level is $2-3K per ticket while mid-level & lower level are $3,500-20K per ticket. Oh, I’m sure they’ll offer a few dozen “cheap” PSL’s at $1K in row 60-70 of the upper, upper level – but it won’t be many I’m sure.

To those who have said the ticket prices will go up, I have no doubt they will, and at higher percentages than they have the past 5 or 6 years. Consider you’ve paid a PSL, it’s a lot harder to walk away from higher ticket prices when you have something else invested in them. If you’ll lose the thousands you paid in PSL’s if you don’t renew your tickets you’ll be more inclined to pay more in tickets to avoid losing that money outright. The PSL’s will just be the start of more & more out of pocket expenses for the fans who have stood by these guys thru the thick and thin.

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Enter your comments here

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i hope they dont pull some psl crap

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I beg to differ, the upper corners of the Georgia Dome have HORRIBLE seats.

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The Falcons need a new stadium, really!? The entire metro region is trying to make due with fewer police officers and teachers but this is what our elected leaders feel we need? Arthur Blank, a member of the Forbes 400, could write a check for the entire stadium and still be left with $450 million in pocket change. For him, paying for this stadium is equivalent to the rest of us buying a new computer or television.

We have just gone through an election season where a group of millionaires and billionaires threw away upwards of a billion dollars trying to buy the election. One spent over $150 million himself. Now one claims penury and expects the public to pony up the money for a new stadium when the present one is just fine. If these people have so much money to throw away like they’ve just demonstrated why can’t Arthur Blank establish a REIT and invite his friends to invest in a new stadium? Personally, I find this whole situation offensive.

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Football was invented as a Fall/Winter sport to be played OUTSIDE. Contrary to belief, you will not always perish outside if the temperature happens to be below seventy-two degrees. The Falcons organization knew this twenty-three years ago.

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Sport is entertainment, Las Vegas and Hollywood except with passers and dunkers and hitters instead of singers and comedians and dancers.. The audience is filled with “fantasy” fans who simply want to be part of the crowd at work. Of course a new stadium is needed. Self-absorbed America is not going to attend a 20 year dome forever. If you want sport, support your local high school.

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“Does Atlanta need a new stadium?”

Sure, it did wonders for the Marlins. A new stadium helped them win a WS (sarcasm for the incredibly stupid people who reside on this blog).

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Welcome back Mark.

I hate this. With so many other critical needs, I can’t support a stadium Atlanta doesn’t really need.

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Damn the ghost of Rankin Smith! He NEVER got it right! Paying for it twenty years later.

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Rich McKay and Frank Poe are all smiles because they know they are about to shaft the citizens of Atlanta as well as visitors to the city to increase their pay checks as well as Arthur Blanks at taxpayer expense. How gullible the public is these days.

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While we build stadiums, the Chinese build aircraft carriers. We have truly become a nation of idiots. Fact is, a moron who can’t spell C-A-T if you spotted him the C and the A, but who can catch a football or throw a baseball, will make more than an entire school system’s teaching staff or a mid-size police force/fire department. And we wonder why as a nation we are sliding down faster than prune juice through an old man’s bowels. Again, excellent example of collective stupidity. We should have be standing at this meeting with torches and pitch forks

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If they are going to build a new stadium, which is not needed, then the law needs to be changed to say that Georgia citizens don’t have to pay hotel tax. How many people come to Atlanta and spend the night because a game ends to late for them to drive home? No Georgia citizen should have to pay for this wasteful project.

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Surely there are not that many gullible people like those posting thinking it won’t cost anything -i.e Braves stadium in Gwinnett -how’d that work out? You think the reconstruction of roads ,sidewalks etc near a possible new stadium are FREE ? Do you think the bonds left to pay on the Dome will magically disappear? Do you think the demolition of the Dome will be paid for by Blank? Do you think that whatever would go up in place of the Dome is FREE ? Oh wait I forgot this is the nation that re elected President giveaway so they could get more FREE stuff from the actual taxpayers

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Let’s see now… 300 million that could be spent on education, instead going to the money-flushed in exchange for our right to plunk down huge sums for the right to buy a ticket, then spend a couple of bills just to go to the game… Mr. Blank should tell us he loves us when he does that to us…

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And agree with the many responses that this makes no sense with ALL of the other ATL issues that needed attention.

Ridiculous!!

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If you think that the public will only be on the hook for $300 million, then I have a bridge I’d like to sell you. The final cost to the public will be around $500 million.

once again we’re stupid enough to pay for this. And wait until you find out how much the PSL’s (Personal License Fees) are going to cost just to give you the right to purchase a ticket.

Just saying…..

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Devil’s Advocate

December 10th, 2012
4:27 pm

Every team wants a new place to play; the NFL just has particular interest in Atlanta because it knows the conditions exist to easily get a new stadium built.
—–
You nailed it. Why is Blank asking for a new stadium (that will increase the value of his franchise) and why is the NFL supporting it (that will increase the value of all franchises)?
Because they know they can get it.

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our economy is depressed for about 30 percent of the more debt is not what we need when we have a perfectly good stadium…..

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Arthur, I think it would be great if you could challenge the architects to not only deliver a good looking football stadium, not like the ugly Georgia Dome or hospital-looking Home Depot headquarters, but something that sets off the Georgia skyline and is truly world-class, and I’m talking Ghery or Hadid or Calatrava here. Something that stands the test of time. Something not hokey, like the Aquarium. And the naming rights should be sold, so it becomes Home Depot Stadium. Ask Nardelli to chip in.

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ATLANTA = DETROIT DOWN SOUTH(horrible infrastructure,poor planning,blighted,high crime,water crisisand a dumb no nothing no speaking mayor KASIM REED,)SEE FORD FIELD IN DOWNTOWN DETROIT GLEAMING DOME WHILE AROUND IT BLIGHT ,DESPAIR ,CRIME AND POVERTY,AND DOWNRIGHT UGLINESS…GeORGIA DOME…way better than that ugly cave in New orleans but guess who is hosting the super bowl in febuary

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Somebody put together a protest and march. We’ll call it CATS:

C itizens
A gainst
T axpayer-funded
S tadiums

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One, two, three …. D – C – C!!!
Go Cowboys!
We are much hotter than the other cheer squads!

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This is a fine example of what is wrong with this country. A private business would never make this kind of a decision. But government….what the heck, we’ll just raise taxes and stick it to the rich and those evil corporations. No reason to spend prudently when it’s not your money.

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The average Joe is hurting, our schools are in need, teachers can’t get a raise…. but no problem enacting a special tax to feed a billionaire’s hobby.

Great! Just great!

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If the city will contribute 30% of the cost, it should share in 30% of the profits.

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“Why does the 41 years old Louisiana Superdome continue to play hosts to Super Bowls, the Sugar Bowl, NCAA Final Fours, etc., and the nearly 20 years old Georgia Dome is considered old?”

That has nothing to do with the Superdome’s condition and everything to do with the fact that New Orleans doesn’t have ice storms in late January/early February.

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Who cares where the Falcon’s do their losing in the first round of the playoffs? New dome or old dome. Toe-may-toe, toe-mah-toe…

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…mo money

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Bobby Wren Blanks

December 10th, 2012
7:13 pm
I be moderated!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

And I be waiting to be moderated.

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And for the 500 fans that support the NO SB RING Falcants…lmao…

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Mark – You are absolutely spot on.

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Lets fund it with a Millionaire/Billionaire tax on anybody with income of $200,000 per year!!

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Some idiot actually asked me if I planned to share the profits from a building built with taxpayer money with the taxpayers. What a rube! Shut up and pay me losers!

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For all the fans who don’t see a need for a new stadium, let it be known that you will stay home and watch the game on tv.Lets see what happens.

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Why don’t we put a $10 surcharge on every piece of Falcon gear to pay for this wet dream? Well, I don’t suppose $460 dollars would buy much now that I think of it.

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Why does the stadium have to stay in the ghetto?

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School system is 46th out of 50. Your kids can barely do math problems. And cant read, nor string a coherent sentence together….but we can spend $300 million on a stadium. SMH

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I guess the TSPLOST vote didn’t teach the thugs under the dome anything. If they do this, we need to boycott the Falcons and vote the politicians out of office.

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Conservatives love their corporate welfare, sho nuf! Let them babies and old folks die in the street, but give those millionaires some luxury boxes to watch football. Jesus said so!

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@All I’m saying is… Dude, there’s a MARTA rail station RIGHT BESIDE the GM site..as close as the rail station is to the current dome. And the north option for the new downtown site is actually farther from rail than the GM site. I’m glad the stadium is going to be in the heart of the city, but Doraville certainly isn’t a “non-MARTA stop part of town.”

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Of all the dumb things a new stadium, well before you read any further, where is the 2012 super bowl being held? What city has hosted more superbowls that any other city? And just how old is this stadium, if you guessed over 45 years you were right, and if you guessed New Orleans, you were right again. Someone with common sense, please explain why a 20 year old building should be torn down and replaced with a billion dollar stadium, and guess what, it really no reason to believe the 300 million spoken of with be raised from vistors, guess what stupid, the revenue will come from GA TAX PAYERS. Only those with COMMON SENSE need reply.

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Got to stop the crime imo

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Ben

December 10th, 2012
7:47 pm

Ok, whoever says that this money needs to go to the school system to further education has possibly no idea that you cannot teach kids with money
———
No you can’t teach kids with money. To give them a good education you need good school buildings (which cost money to build, last time I looked), good teachers (who also like to get paid), books (also not free), libraries, computers, etc.

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Ok, whoever says that this money needs to go to Arthur Blank to further an NFL team has possibly no idea that you cannot play football with money

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I will NEVER attend a game.

This makes me sick !!!!!!!!!!!

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Win a super bowl first and then build a new stadium.

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In 2020, fans will be paying for seat licenses and tickets at who knows how much, to watch games officiated by a new batch of replacement refs.

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Get your wallets out, new stadium comes with PSL fees, just like in Athens, we have to pay for the RIGHT to buy tickets! Forget that, I ll just stay home, save gas money, parking fees, no waiting for the restroom, watch what I want, get my own food, all in HD TV! Dirty Birds can kiss my tail feathers, Arthur Blank you greedy SOB

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Idiots…get a clue….the blue collar workers are the ones who will build the stadium….

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But corporations with their tax deductions gobbled up the nice seats.

Corporate ticket write-offs have priced many average fans (including me) right out of the market. Haven’t been to any major league sporting event in close to 10 years and have no intention of going. It costs too damn much.

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If the bed tax pays for it why worry about it. The only reason I go to Atlanta is to go to sporting events. Thoughts from Florida.

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Last time you had a Super Bowl in Atlanta you had an ice storm so if you want the circus back in town it will cost you $1 billion.

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Unless the Falcons win 3 superbowls between now and the new stadium opening, there’s no way the PSL fees will fly here. Fans are not diehard as they are in Dallas, NY, NE, etc where tickets get willed between families. People here would laugh at the prospect of paying $5k for the right to buy tickets. I’m in the club level where they have a 2 year seat license fee and the section sits half empty. At a time when Roger Goodell says NFL attendance is down due to the HDTV experience at home being so good, adding PSL fees and higher ticket prices to an already tepid NFL market is not too wise.

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Atlanta has to build a billion dollar stadium to host a superbowl…ugly,filthy,crime infested ,snake infested,sinking a foot a year New orleans has a 50 yr old ugly cave in a small market city and they host superbowls..ATLANTA WHATS WRONG WITH THIS PICTURE???THIER IS ABSOLUTLY NOTHING WRONG WITH THE GEORGIA DOME…UPGRADE IT DONT IMPLODE IT..ITS 20 YRS OLD…WERE IN AN ECONOMIC SLIDE..thier are other ways to spend good money

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petition online to show your concern regarding the new stadium:

http://www.thepetitionsite.com/510/299/990/georgia-dont-squander-taxpayer-dollars-on-new-falcons-stadium/

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Atlanta voters should vote their reps out of office. Giving Blank 300 million and receiving no revenue is corporate welfare.

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I would like to propose a name for the new stadium:

” The (insert street name and zip code here) Atlanta Fulton County Georgia Retractable Roof Stadium”

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So sad that they need a new stadium when we have the worst education for our kids, homeless people, family’s that really need help can’t get it. So sad we can do more to help others. They can come up with that money but for anything else we can’t do nothing its not in the budget. Tickets will be going up and the falcons really don’t do nothing for the community unless it’s going on TV like NFL360. I have been trying to get tickets for kids to see some of the games and has stop trying. I know kids that have never been to a game or anything else. Help our children please

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Atlantans – Draw a line in the concrete and just say NO! Let everyone know you don’t and won’t support this. When they start building it, carry a sign, protest, sit in – you know, do some civil disobedience, break some laws, fill the jails. Last time this was done, folks who did it are now called ‘heroes’. And most important, when it’s finished, JUST F’ing DON’T GO. Don’t buy the tickets, don’t watch the TV, don’t buy he products.
Go to church on Sunday mornings. Take the kids to the zoo: go to Stone Mountain for a picnic: read a book.

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Arthur, your old partner Bernie will go down in history as a generous, giving supporter of Atlanta. A true philanthropist. You sir, will be remembered as the greedy thief, and racketeer that you are.

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And I agree they need to remove tax deductions for tickets to sports events. That will reduce the subsidization of sports events by corporate money and put and end to this nonsense of luxury boxes taking up big portion of new stadiums.

And Saints fans can zip it. Superdome is junk. Superbowls should not be played in domes. Northern teams are at a disadvantage already as most of them play outdoors. THe SB should be mostly in places like FL or CA where there is good weather and plenty of outdoor stadiums.

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If only state and local leaders would act as boldly and decisively in assembling resources to improve education at all levels! They will not allow anything to get in the way of hosting one Super Bowl, but the thought of investing $1 billion in education is beyond their capacity to think. Every officeholder who votes in any way to support this project should be held accountable for doing the same for education.

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I wonder how these PSLs will work for events that control their own tickets. For example, the SEC distributes all of the tickets for its championship game. They have a long list of people who renew tickets to the event every year. How is that going to work if these PSLs give a Falcons season ticket holder “right of first refusal” to tickets for all events?

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They say its 70-30 Falcons and public money…..HA

Let’s make this perfectly clear, it’s ALL coming from the public and fans. Without them there is no team. How foolish this setup is right in the middle of a horrible economy and with a team that has very little history of winning.

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I just read that PSLs don’t give the owner “right of first refusal” for all events in the stadium. Whew! I was worried about my SEC tickets! I’m not about to buy a PSL for the one event per year that I really care about going to.

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If they put as much effort and money into the team we might have a Championship in this city by now. Win one or two Superbowl’s then work on the new stadium deal. That’s what the fans want.

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The Falcons commit to thirty years at which time they will have paid rent in an amount equal to $90,000,000. leaving a mere $120,000,000 taxpayer investment unpaid. You want us to believe that all the benefit doesn’t flow to the Falcons and away from the City of Atlanta’s taxpayer?

This is same rationale that is bankrupting this country. It will be interesting to see which collapses first, the City of Atlanta or the United States of America.

But that’s okay, the NFL gets their way – again.

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Move to the burbs like the Pats did….no badness or dealing with “the element” that has ruined downttown for peace-loving tax paying citizens.

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the falcons aren’t footing it. the fans are.

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I agree with Levi. The stadium is a joke. The Georgia Dome is just fine. Why not upgrade what we have already? Concrete doesn’t go bad. Industries are not moving to Atlanta. Why do we think unemployment here is so bad. Fulton County government is a joke and the taxes are high.If Arthur Blank wants it so bad, he should pay for it. God knows he’s got the dough.

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Complete WASTE of MONEY!

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I’m glad they are tearing down that hideous dome!! Way back in the late 80’s when they said they were going to build a domed stadium in Atlanta, I said “NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO”!!!! What does a sunbelt city need with a stupid domed stadium for??? I hate playing football indoors!! I had season tickets for years in Athens for my Dawgs!! I can count the times on one hand that it rained. We are blessed with beautiful weather normally here in the Fall! Hell, Green Bay and da Bears don’t play in freakin domed stadiums, and the weather up there can be pretty bad in the later part of the season. Football was meant to be played outdoors!!

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So we need a new stadium for the long term? Interesting. Funny how the packers have played on the same field since 1957 and they have 4 rings. The 49’s have played on the same field since 1971 and they have 5 rings. Tell you what Falcons how about you win one stinking superbowl, then we talk. Am I the only one who misses Fulton County Stadium? Football in the outdoors, you could bring in food and drinks. Now its pretty much how much money can we get out of you.

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Let the top seed host the Super Bowl, or alternate between leagues each year. Reward the team/cities reaching the Championship game like ALL other pro sports

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Let’s keep the Ga Dome and offer it for the SEC Championship game, Peach Bowl, Ga State football, Atlanta University football, HS Championships, tractor pulls, concerts, and everything but Falcons football. Arthur can bid for these events if he chooses but otherwise they go to the Dome and keep it busy and producing revenue. It sure seems silly to tear down the Dome when so many could and would make use of it. Heck, Tech might prefer it to Grant Field and they could build a big laboratory or classroom or detention center where it stands today. Simple solutions from a simple, down to earth girl who can gut a deer.

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The Falcons dont have a rabid fan base that will pay for the seat licenses. Good Luck getting anybody to pay for those in Atlanta.

I wore a Falcons shirt this Saturday and went to the mall. Got exactly ZERO fist pumps, nods or acknowledgments about the FALCONS and this is when they are 11-1. Comon really!!!

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Absolute waste of money for a city that isn’t even a pro football town. Anyone that actually believes the Falcons are going to be able to sell seats after these seat license prices is living in a dream world. Atlanta is among the most poorly run cities in the country and this isn’t going to help anything. But it’s great for Arthur Blank.

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I certainly agree that NO New Stadium is needed….Let Blank pay for it…NOT TAX PAYERS OR ANYONE ELSE…NFL AND BLANK MAKE THE MONEY, SO THEY SHOULD PAY.

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So what events are we missing out getting b/c the Georgia Dome is “old”? And what events are we going to miss out on in the next 10-15 years?

This is ridiculous. The Falcons aren’t going to leave the Dome anytime soon. Call their bluff and sign them to another lease that begins in 2017 and runs another 10 years. Give them more benefits than they get in their current lease. Then have this discussion in another 10 years. Stretch the life of the Dome out a little bit more. It just turned 20 years old!

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“We need a new stadium for the long term”…………………..?????

Wonder what he means by “long term”…………couple of months? couple of years?

Turns out he means exactly 20 years regardless of the pristine condition of the existing structure.

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Why doesn’t Arthur Blank foot the bill for this? His team will be the primary tenant. He wants to buy an MLS franchise that will be the secondary tenant.

He can either pay for or lease the land from the GWCC Authority. He can make all the money on all the events. The hotel tax can be used to improve the city for tourism in other ways.

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To the poster who mentioned the Ray Lewis Atlanta murder case. I don’t think they were locals and this article is about robbery, not murder.

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@gt4ever

“You keep drinking the grape juice Section 236… Have fun making loads of money with that priority seating arrangement you will be paying for.. ”

Two responses before the ad hominem attacks started? Classy.

@ Wutehvah

“You might wanna check that. I’m not sure the PSL owner gets first refusal rights to OTHER events (i.e. SECCG) held in the dome.”

Because the Georgia Dome doesn’t have a PSL agreement. Or are you speaking about the future stadium? Every other instance of a PSL, excluding the situation between the NYG/NYJ at New Meadowlands, has included this provision. Can’t see why it would change.

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@Bucksot Falcon: if you want to see Falcons fans, come downtown. The mall and the ‘burbs are where transplants dwell. All I see in the city are Falcons fans that are actual Atlantans, instead of the long-term tourists in the ‘burbs.

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Build a $1 billion castle in the slums? Great idea

Didn’t Arthur recently give away (or make plans to) $1 billion of his personnal wealth? Now he wants the public to fork over $700 million so that he can generate a better revenue stream?

Re the hotel/renatl car tax: These already exist and are pretty substantial. Where is that money going now? How high will the new taxes be? Sounds like we are heading well north of 50%.

There is no such thing as a temporary tax (see GA 400). Once public officials get their hands on money, they never give it up. They only look for new ways to tax.

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just jack up taxes and prices to pay for this—ATL needs a big time stadium like Dallas to play in the big time—with this new billion $ stadium, atl will be on the sports map baby!!! Bring it on—pay whatever it takes—the costs will be worth it!!!

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arthur’s new young girlfriend—very hot, but she has expensive tastes—arthur’s needing more millions from that new stadium to service her needs. can she decorate his huge suite in the new stadium–state of the art, 5 star stuff.

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For a good read on this very subject…

http://www.sportsonearth.com/article/40595178/

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Maybe if the Falcons went public, there would be enough excitement to generate private capital funds. Dont the Packers do this?

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I hope everyone realizes how stupid we’re going to look to the rest of the country when, in 5 years, we demolish a 25 year old stadium.

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