The artificial turf on which the Falcons and Atlanta United play their home games will be replaced.
Work is underway to remove Mercedes-Benz Stadium’s 103,209-square-foot FieldTurf playing surface, and its replacement with the same product from the FieldTurf brand is scheduled to be completed over the next two weeks.
The former field will be converted into recycled materials and repurposed for various uses, according to AMB Sports and Entertainment, parent company of the Falcons and Atlanta United. The plan is to transform part of the recycled turf into new elements for The Home Depot Backyard, an 11-acre gathering space adjacent to the stadium, later this year.
Credit: Dakota Williams/AMB Sports & Entertainment
Credit: Dakota Williams/AMB Sports & Entertainment
Mercedes-Benz Stadium opened in 2017, and this marks the second time since then that the artificial turf has been replaced. It was first replaced in April 2019, a couple of months after Super Bowl LIII was played on the stadium’s original surface.
AMBSE officials have said the turf likely will be replaced every two or three years, in part for aesthetic reasons because of wear from the field being repainted and rebranded for so many events.
Stadium capital improvements, such as turf replacement, are funded in part by a portion of the Atlanta hotel-motel tax dedicated to the facility. If there aren’t sufficient funds from the tax to cover improvements, the Falcons/Atlanta United organization is responsible for the rest. The cost of the 2019 turf replacement was approximately $700,000.
The FieldTurf product used at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, called CORE, is described by the manufacturer as “the first multi-layer dual-polymer fiber” turf.
The replacement is being done during a rare lull in the stadium’s events calendar. The Falcons completed their season Sunday, and Atlanta United’s regular-season opener is Feb. 27.
And if you’ve ever wondered, AMBSE said the playing surface consists of 791,815,392 individual blades of turf.
Credit: Dakota Williams/AMB Sports & Entertainment
Credit: Dakota Williams/AMB Sports & Entertainment
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