New Falcons stadium could cost $948 million, possibly be located near Gulch?
New report by planners runs down costs
A new Atlanta Falcons stadium could cost nearly $950 million and, interestingly, might not necessarily be located along Northside Drive as was originally planned. The Atlanta Business Chronicle snagged a copy (PDF) of the master plan, a copy of which we’re still reading.
In addition to explaining why simply retrofitting the Dome isn’t a good plan — apparently, planners say, the arena’s configuration wouldn’t allow enough higher-priced seats and the long construction time would leave the team homeless — there’s this nugget:
To date, the most talked about new stadium proposal had the next home of the Falcons north of the Georgia Dome at the intersection of Northside Drive and Ivan Allen Jr. Boulevard. But now a new site gaining favor is the area immediately south of Georgia Dome and just west of the Gulch, which itself could be redeveloped into a mixed-use complex centered around a bus and rail terminal.
All very interesting. No mention still of who’s gonna pay for the new sports complex.