Filed under: Atlanta Falcons, NFC South
There is another key date coming up for the Falcons. It's not March 4, when players insist there will be a labor lockout. It is Feb. 22 when a Kansas City architectural firm releases a feasibility study to Georgia World Congress Center officials on a new outdoor stadium in Atlanta.GWCC folks do not need another facility to operate, but the feasibility study will probably say it can be done with available tracts of land near the Georgia Dome.
The city has the all-purpose Georgia Dome, which houses the Falcons, the SEC Championship Game, Georgia State football, and other events, which includes the NCAA Final Four. It does not need another mega-facility.
The Falcons, of course, want a state-of-the-art outdoor stadium. They want somebody else to pay for it -- taxpayers, that would be you.
What this study might hint at is that instead of building a $700 million stadium, the city and state of Georgia spend $350 million to take the marshmallow roof off the Dome and make it work like an outdoor facility. A re-fit.
You can imagine there are all kinds of issues with that, as far as weatherproofing, durable seats for weather, drains, etc.
The NFL will get involved soon after this report comes out. It will declare through proper channels that if Atlanta wants the Super Bowl, the state of Georgia will have to build a stadium for the Falcons.
Could the Falcons build it themselves? Probably not. Jerry Richardson did it in Charlotte selling Personal Seat Licenses and raising $120 million for the $246 million stadium. That was in 1996 and a new Atlanta stadium would cost much, much more. PSLs probably wouldn't generate enough revenue for owner Arthur Blank.
The Falcons will probably get their stadium at some expense to taxpayers because Gov. Nathan Deal, who rails against free handouts to poor people, will give a free handout to the Falcons' owner.
Here's what happens next. When the Falcons have a downturn, and fans don't buy tickets, there will be a local TV blackout. Buying the stadium for the Falcons does not insure that you can watch the games.
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Source: http://nfl.fanhouse.com/2011/02/18/falcons-stadium-study-results-away-with-georgia-dome-as-we-know/
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