New Atlanta Falcons Stadium (cost, money, building)

[MathmanMathman]

Originally Posted by toll_booth

It is my understanding that getting a couple of Super Bowls would just be a bonus. Arthur Blank's primary contention for a new stadium has been the economics of running and paying for the team--which costs a lot. All those luxury boxes, clubs, and other bells and whistles that the new stadiums have are real moneymakers.

Whatever happened to "sit in your seat and watch the game"?

So this is going to be a Football watching/Super Bowl Hosting/Final Four Eventing/Multimodal supporting/Mixed Use anchoring/Luxury Box partying stadium? And this will probably cost way over $1 billion.

It's just a football game! With 8 home games, and, what, 2 pre-season home games (which I think shouldn't be played...college doesn't). I think we've lost our minds.

[tonygeorgia]

Great! Hopefully this will bring a soccer team to Atlanta

[MathmanMathman]

Originally Posted by tonygeorgia

Great! Hopefully this will bring a soccer team to Atlanta

There's some leeway in a soccer field's dimensions, so technically soccer could be played within the dimensions of a football field. But soccer fields tend to be much wider than a football field.

[tonygeorgia]

...

[toll_booth]

Originally Posted by MathmanMathman

Whatever happened to "sit in your seat and watch the game"?

Hey, I'm with you on that. But it is a business.

So this is going to be a Football watching/Super Bowl Hosting/Final Four Eventing/Multimodal supporting/Mixed Use anchoring/Luxury Box partying stadium? And this will probably cost way over $1 billion.

It's just a football game! With 8 home games, and, what, 2 pre-season home games (which I think shouldn't be played...college doesn't). I think we've lost our minds.

The information that I have is that the city is going to use increased hotel taxes to put up $300 million. That will be their share.

Don't forget that if they include the retractable roof, they can use it for indoor events as well. They'll lose that if it's open-air.

[afonega1]

Personally I think if it were done right,it would bw worth it.
Lets say the stadium had a cool outdoor lifestyle mall and Ferris wheel attached to it.Maybe even Condo's also.
People would eat and shop before and even after the game.
I also would add a MARTA station.

[bryantm3]

okay, if this means tearing the georgia dome down and reconnecting vine city to the downtown area, i'm all for it. the georgia dome is like a huge behemoth that got rid of all the walkability and street interaction in the area, continuing the demise of the neighbourhoods west of downtown.


however, if this means local taxpayers fronting the bill, hell no. i can see the bonds being funded by people staying in hotels since they'll be the ones most likely to use the stadium.

let's also hope the new stadium has something going on all the time like restaurants or retail, so it's not just a big hunk of concrete creating an unwalkable shady place to get mugged à la the dome.

[tonygeorgia]

I wish the city would take some of that tax money and help fund those museums

[neil0311]

Why is it that Roger Goodell is fine with a 40 year old dome in New Orleans hosting a Superbowl, and that same dome was fine when it was 20 years old, but somehow the GA Dome at 20 years old is just not suitable for hosting the Superbowl?

If the Falcons want to play into God-dell and his blackmail, then let them use private funding and pay the bill. Not one cent of taxpayer money should be used for this boondoggle.

[gtcorndog]

Originally Posted by neil0311

Why is it that Roger Goodell is fine with a 40 year old dome in New Orleans hosting a Superbowl, and that same dome was fine when it was 20 years old, but somehow the GA Dome at 20 years old is just not suitable for hosting the Superbowl?

If the Falcons want to play into God-dell and his blackmail, then let them use private funding and pay the bill. Not one cent of taxpayer money should be used for this boondoggle.

The Superdome has 5,000 more seats, recently underwent $300+ million in renovations which has given it the feel of a new stadium and New Orleans has great entertainment infrastructure which facilitates an awesome party.

It isn't Goodell blackmailing anyone. There are simply much better options for Super Bowl locations. I wouldn't have the game leave Miami, New Orleans or San Diego, but they have started sprinkling in cities that build new stadiums and I don't have a problem with it. If a city is going to put in several hundred million dollars to a new facility, why not give them a game that gives the city huge media exposure and increased tourism spending. The owners have used the Super Bowl as leverage in stadium negotiations. I'm sure Goodell is perfectly fine never having the Super Bowl in Atlanta again. I'm fine with it as well. But lets get this straight, Arthur Blank is the one using the Super Bowl excuse for leverage. Who gets more money out of a new stadium with the most current luxury seating options? The NFL and Goodell or Arthur Blank and the Falcons? Yeah... Don't blame Goodell for this. This is purely on the Falcons.