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For two decades the Atlanta Falcons have played the Georgia Dome,
one of the few domed stadiums in the NFL. In 2011 the Falcons
announced plans that they would begin exploring options of building
a new stadium. The team wants a new stadium because they believe the
Georgia Dome does not provide premium seating and other amenities
found in recently built NFL stadiums. At a cost of $947.7 million,
the Falcons are teaming with the Georgia World Congress Center
Authority (GWCCA) to build a retractable roof stadium. In December
2012 the GWCCA board approved terms for the new Atlanta stadium. The
GWCCA will own the stadium, the Falcons will operate the stadium
under a 30-year license and contribute $700 million including any
cost overruns towards stadium construction and the city of Atlanta
and Fulton County will contribute $300 million through a hotel tax.
The stadium will be built south of the Georgia Dome or a half-mile
north. The new stadium will not only be the home of the
Falcons, but the annual SEC Championship Game, the Chick-fil-A Bowl and
potential Final Four basketball games. The
Falcons hope construction will begin in 2014 with the stadium
opening in 2017.
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