Atlanta Falcons’ new stadium, the MercedeS-Benz stadium, looks incredible.
(via @businessinsider)
The Atlanta Falcons will play their last game in the Georgia Dome when the team hosts the Green Bay Packers in the NFC Championship game January 22.
Beginning next season, the Falcons will play in Mercedes-Benz Stadium. The organization first broke ground on the state-of-the-art facility in 2014 and it’s taken shape continuously since then.
It comes with a steep price tag of a whopping $1.2 billion, with the city contributing $200 million of the cost in bonds. With tax revenue projected to be generated, the state will put forth $40 million for parking. In total, public spending is expected to touch $600 million when it’s complete.
Atlanta’s new stadium features retractable panel roofing which resemble a pinwheel and also a glass wall that is capable of opening to allow fresh air to get into the stadium. The scoreboard is said to be one of most unique in the league, with it featuring a circular LED board ringing around the stadium’s roof. It will be the NFL’s largest video board when installed.
The stadium is already slated to host Super Bowl LII in 2019 in addition to numerous other major sporting events, such as the 2018 College Football Playoff National Championship and the 2020 NCAA Men’s Basketball Final Four.
In May 2016, the Falcons announced fan-friendly food pricing for its new stadium. According to the stadium’s website, it will cost $2 for non-alcoholic drinks with unlimited free refills. If that’s not enough, bottled water, hot dogs, pretzels and popcorn are all priced the same. For $3, a fan not sitting in a private box can get peanuts, pizza, nachos or waffle fries. And the price on beer may be some of the cheapest in the league, with the price tag said to be $5 for a 12-ounce domestic.
The Falcons won’t be the only professional sports franchise to call the stadium home. The MLS’ Atlanta United FC will also call Mercedes-Benz Stadium its home field.
The official opening date is scheduled to be July 30, 2017, which is an Atlanta United home game against Orlando City FC.
