Photos: The Georgia Dome through the years

Atlanta Falcons

Photos: The Georgia Dome through the years

The Georgia Dome, home of the Atlanta Falcons, opened in 1992 and will be replaced in 2017 by the Mercedes Benz Stadium.

A University of Tennessee fan was killed in a fall from the upper deck of the Georgia Dome during the Chick-fil-A kickoff game on Friday night. (2001 photo of the Georgia Dome.)

January 1991: Framework of the Georgia Dome, including upper seating, during its early construction.

Sept. 23, 1991: An aerial view of workers stretching the large fiberglass roofing over the Georgia Dome during its construction.

Jan. 17, 1992: The framework of the Georgia Dome's exterior early in its construction.

Jan. 17, 1992: Construction worker Patrick Garrett installs seats at the Georgia Dome.

Feb. 25, 1998: Aerial photo of the Georgia Dome with the Atlanta skyline in the background.

An aerial photo of the Omni and the Georgia Dome in 1997.

Construction on the Centennial Olympic Park as seen from the observation deck on the 73rd floor of the Westin Peachtree Plaza Hotel on October 19, 1995. The Omni, CNN Center, World Congress Center, and the Georgia Dome are in the background. (Kevin Keister /AJC staff)

Aerials of Atlanta skyline and the Georgia Dome shot February 28, 2001. (RICH ADDICKS/AJC staff)

FEBRUARY 7, 2013 ATLANTA Work crews cover the playing field with a tarp in preparation for next week’s Monster Truck event at the Georgia Dome Friday, February 8, 2013. Mayor Kasim Reed’s argument that Atlanta needs a new stadium is being augmented by a new charge: the Georgia Dome is in need of hundreds of millions in renovations, including a new roof. The mayor’s comments are a new wrinkle in attempts to persuade residents and other politicians to spend public dollars to help build a new stadium. Up to now, the discussion has focused on making the Dome’s biggest client, the Atlanta Falcons, happy - a losing strategy in the court of public opinion. But the mayor’s “dumpy Dome” argument may also be a tough sell. The facility is largely seen as well maintained by the public and tenants and may not be enough to convince residents that the public should help build the Falcons a new home. Story will include comments from Dome goers and outline updates Dome operators say the facility needs as well as money already put into updating the 20-year-old stadium, including the $20.5 million paint job it got in 2007. KENT D. JOHNSON / KDJOHNSON@AJC.COM

Work crews cover the playing field with a tarp in preparation for next week’s Monster Truck event at the Georgia Dome Friday, February 8, 2013. Mayor Kasim Reed’s argument that Atlanta needs a new stadium is being augmented by a new charge: the Georgia Dome is in need of hundreds of millions in renovations, including a new roof.

The construction of the Georgia Dome in 1992 cut off the Vine City neighborhood, creating many dead end streets and traffic issues on game days for residents. A new stadium site just north of the current location could have additional impact on the neighborhood.

On Tuesday night, July 23, 1996, in front of 32,048 fans in the Georgia Dome,during the 1996 Summer Olympic Games in Atlanta, the U.S. Olympic women’s gymnastic team won their first gold medal in the team competition. The women are from left: Amanda Borden, Dominique Dawes, Amy Chow, Jaycie Phelps, Dominique Moceanu, Kerri Strugg and Shannon Miller. (Barton Siverman/New York Times Photo)

The Falcons gave the Georgia Dome crowd lots to cheer about. Atlanta won 11 straight games at home dating back to 1997 - eight of them coming in 1998 - and most points in a season (442).

Downtown Atlanta is aglow as Super Bowl XXXIV festivities get into high gear with the arrival of the Bud One Airship Wednesday evening, January 26, 2000, which will help broadcast coverage for ABC Sports on Sunday, January 30, 2000. (DAVID TULIS/AJC staff)

Halftime show at Super Bowl XXXIV in the Georgia Dome on Sunday, January 30, 2000. (SPECIAL/KENNY IRBY)

The St Louis Rams #98 DE Grant Winstrom hoists the trophy with #22 Billy Jenkins in celebration of St Louis' win over the Tennessee Titans in Super Bowl XXXIV in the Georgia Dome on Sunday, January 30, 2000. (AJC Staff/BRANT SANDERLIN)

June 20, 2002 -- New Falcons owner Arthur Blank holds a press conference at the Georgia Dome, announcing lower ticket prices, more assigned parking space and an expanded entertainment experience to help sell out the games.

Cameras flash as the teams tip off in Game 1 of the NCAA Men's Final Four, Indiana v. Oklahoma, at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta.

West Virginia 38, Georgia 35, Sugar Bowl, 2006: The 72nd Sugar Bowl was shifted to Atlanta after Hurricane Katrina slammed into New Orleans, but the hometown advantage was of no help to the Bulldogs. West Virginia (11-1) stunned a sea of red-clad fans at the Georgia Dome by jumping to a 28-0 lead by the opening minute of the second quarter. The Bulldogs (10-3) rallied, twice closing within a field goal in the second half, but they couldn't finish one of the greatest comebacks in bowl history.

Workers from the Georgia Dome and Connor Sport Court piece together the special floor Tuesday, March 27, 2007 that will be used for Atlanta's Final Four championship. Fourteen pallets of flooring are joined together for the 120-foot by 60-foot playing surface using 227 panels of northern hardwood maple, the same kind of maple that makes syrup. The finished floor weighs a total of 47,000 pounds and it takes a crew of 8 from five to six hours to install the surface which will have a southern feel because of its center court and end court peach logos.

The Georgia Dome, hosting the SEC basketball Tournament at the time (foreground), and the Westin Peachtree Plaza both suffered damage.

April 2008: Jose Aearra (foreground) and Avner Linares roll on paint as work continued to paint the Georgia Dome a new color scheme.

April 2008: Workers repaint the Dome in a new color scheme. Following the existing pattern, but using the grey, black and red of the Atlanta Falcons, Barden and Co. and general contractor Holder Construction painted the exterior of the Dome as part of a $20 million dollar maintenance and repair upgrade.

Falcons fans had the noise meter maxed out against the Buccaneers in the Georgia Dome at this game in 2010.

A peregrine falcon soars over the Georgia Dome in Atlanta on Wednesday, Feb. 3, 2010. The Falcons have expressed a preference for an open-air stadium but might wind up with a retractable roof if ongoing negotiations get bogged down..

Atlanta Falcons fans begin to fill the parking lot tailgating on Northside Drive across from the Georgia Dome before the NFC divisional playoff game against the Green Bay Packers Saturday afternoon in Atlanta, Ga., Jan. 15, 2011.

Atlanta Falcons fan Charles Williams cooks as Romaine Knight eats off the grill before the Atlanta Falcons NFC playoff game against the Seattle Seahawks in the Georgia Dome on Sunday, January 13, 2012. JOHNNY CRAWFORD / JCRAWFORD@AJC.COM

A new Falcons stadium would replace the 20-year-old Georgia Dome.

The Georgia Dome is shown Monday afternoon in Atlanta, Ga., December 10, 2012. | GWCCA approves Falcons stadium blueprint | Bradley; Atlanta doesn’t need this | Poll: Should taxpapers pay? | Timeline for new stadium

January 20, 2013 - Atlanta, Ga: Atlanta Falcons players run out of the tunnel before their game against the San Francisco 49ers in the NFC Championship game at the Georgia Dome Sunday afternoon in Atlanta, Ga., January 20, 2013. JASON GETZ / JGETZ@AJC.COM

This is what the Georgia Dome looked like on Tuesday in preparation for the Saturday mega-concert.

Country music superstar Kenny Chesney brought his No Shoes Nation 2013 stadium tour to the Georgia Dome on Saturday.

Georgia State University celebrates their 98th Commencement Exercises at the Georgia Dome on Saturday, May 11, 2013.

A beam of light outside the Georgia Dome was part of Passion 2013, a gathering of young Christians.

The footprint of the Atlanta Falcons' new stadium has been cleared in the area next to the Georgia Dome.

The new Falcons stadium under construction next to the Georgia Dome on Tuesday December 16, 2014.

December 16, 2014 Atlanta: The new Falcons stadium under construction next to the Georgia Dome on Tuesday (BEN GRAY / BGRAY@AJC.COM)

The new Falcons stadium overshadows the Georgia Dome as construction continues. Construction crews celebrated the near completion of the the fixed roof at Mercedes Benz Stadium Wednesday October 19, 2016 by signing a beam and then lifting it into place. The completed stadium will use more than 27,000 tons of steel. Installation of the retractable roof will begin next. BRANT SANDERLIN/BSANDERLIN@AJC.COM

Confetti fills the Georgia Dome as Alabama celebrates a 24-7 victory over Washington in the Peach Bowl NCAA college football playoff semifinal. Saturday, Dec. 31, 2016, in Atlanta. (Curtis Compton/Atlanta Journal-Constitution via AP)

Mercedes-Benz Stadium, scheduled to open next year, is under construction next to the Georgia Dome. (AP Photo/David Goldman, File)

AUGUST 2, 2017 ATLANTA Workers continue the deconstruction of the Georgia Dome, Wednesday, August 2, 2017. As workers prepare Mercedes-Benz Stadium for its opening, a much less glamorous task is under way next door. The stadium is very different than when fans last saw it: tens of thousands of seats have been removed, utilities disconnected, some interior walls knocked down, turf removed, etc.
The Dome is scheduled for implosion on November 20. KENT D. JOHNSON / AJC

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A University of Tennessee fan was killed in a fall from the upper deck of the Georgia Dome during the Chick-fil-A kickoff game on Friday night. (2001 photo of the Georgia Dome.)

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