A state agency signed off Tuesday on the latest plans — and the latest price — for the new Atlanta Falcons stadium.
The Georgia World Congress Center Authority board voted unanimously to approve the stadium’s schematic design and its $1.2 billion budget, up $200 million from the previous estimate.
Board chairman Tim Lowe said in an interview after the vote that he loves the design and the fact that the Falcons, rather than taxpayers, are paying for the cost increase.
“We get $200 million more of whistles and bells, and the public is not charged any more for it,” Lowe said. “… I think it absolutely has the potential of being the best stadium in the world.”
The taxpayer contribution toward the stadium’s construction is the same as before: $200 million from bonds backed by Atlanta’s hotel-motel tax. The revised budget raises the cost to be covered by the Falcons, the NFL and personal seat license sales from $800 million to $1 billion.
About the Author
