A spokesman for one of two churches that would have to be razed for the Atlanta Falcons to build a new stadium on a preferred site south of the Georgia Dome said Thursday morning that negotiations continued, but that there was still no deal.
Lloyd Hawk, chairman of the board of trustees at Friendship Baptist Church, said recent conversations with city officials, who are representing the Falcons in the discussions, have been “positive” and that “it really depends on the Falcons at this point.”
“From our standpoint, we are really close,” Hawk said. “Obviously, we are trying to be as helpful as possible.”
Backers of the stadium set today as a self-imposed deadline to get an agreement with Friendship and Mount Vernon Baptist Church to sell their properties on the preferred site of the planned $1 billion stadium. Atlanta officials, including Mayor Kasim Reed, as well as leaders at the Georgia World Congress Center Authority, have long preferred constructing the facility south of the Dome near the intersection of Martin Luther King Jr. and Northside drives.
But an agreement reached in March among the Falcons, the GWCCA and the city allowed the focus to turn to an alternate site if the preferred spot was not determined “feasible” by August 1. The alternate site is located a half mile north of the Dome, at the corner of Northside Drive and Ivan Allen Jr. Boulevard. The Falcons earlier this week declared the preferred south-of-the-Dome site “not feasible at this time” because the property had not been acquired. The team was given approval by the GWCCA to begin a feasibility study of the north site.
Nothing precludes negotiations with the churches continuing beyond the stadium backers’ self-imposed deadline, and one expert said agreements could still be struck in the coming weeks.
Stay tuned for updates. In the meantime, here’s what you need to know about latest developments surrounding the stadium:
Deadline on stadium site
A self-imposed deadline for striking a deal on one of the two downtown sites where a new Falcons stadium could be built arrives today. The city preferred “south site,” which sits south of the Georgia Dome and would require two churches to sell their properties, remains an option. But if no agreement is reached today, it’s likely the Falcons will proceed with plans to build on a site north of the Georgia Dome. So are we headed for an 11th hour deal?
A deal will be struck if …
A closer emerges. The most likely candidate for a closer is Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed. He has long preferred the south site, mainly because of its public transportation advantages. That site is closer to two MARTA stations and would fit in with some of the city's transportation ambitions. Reed is scheduled to be in Orlando today, but his office is ready to participate in any last-minute discussions.
If the churches get motivated. Friendship Baptist Church and Mount Vernon Baptist Church have both received offers for their properties, but neither has reached an agreement. If the churches become motivated sellers today, then a deal might be possible.
No deal will materialize if …
The churches stand pat. Stadium organizers and Falcons owner Arthur Blank have stressed that the churches aren't being pressured to sell. From the start, the churches agreed to listen and to entertain an offer that might be in their best interest. Signs have pointed toward a willingness to sell for the right price. But neither church has said publicly that it is a motivated seller.
The Falcons' influence carries the day. Though most of the energy has been put into securing the south site, Blank released a statement last week saying either site is workable. This week, the Falcons won a vote from the Georgia World Congress Center Authority to begin preliminary work on the north site. The team called the south site "not feasible at this time."
COMPARING THE SITES
North site (Ivan Allen Jr. Boulevard at Northside Drive)
Advantages:
• Larger and already state-owned
• More flexibility in positioning stadium
• More potential parking and tail-gating space
Disadvantages:
• One-half mile hike from MARTA
• Contaminated soil that would have to be addressed and power lines that would have to be relocated
• Strong opposition from neighborhood groups that say site is too close to residences
South site (Martin Luther King Jr. and Northside drives)
Advantages:
• Excellent MARTA access
• Better connectivity to Georgia World Congress Center
• Proximity to proposed downtown multi-modal terminal
Disadvantages:
• Requires purchasing and razing Friendship Baptist and Mount Vernon Baptist churches
• Requires large infrastructure improvements, including reconfiguring Martin Luther King Jr. Drive
• Closeness to Georgia Dome would complicate construction
WHAT’S NEXT
Today: Self-imposed deadline for stadium planners to reach agreements to acquire Friendship Baptist and Mount Vernon Baptist churches on the preferred stadium site, although the Falcons declared the site "not feasible at this time" Tuesday.
Oct. 1: Deadline for the Falcons to complete a feasibility study of the alternative site a half mile north of the Dome.
Oct. 31: Schematic designs of the stadium are to be completed.
Check back with ajc.com for updates.
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