Georgia Dome Improvements
Atlanta Falcons Unveil Plans for Near-Term Upgrades at Georgia Dome
September 14, 2006
The Atlanta Falcons today announced plans for major renovations to the Dome that will begin during the next year. The plans are subject to final review and approval by the Georgia World Congress Center Authority, which is expected to take place over the next several months.
The improvements to the Dome will be visible inside and outside the building and benefit Falcons fans throughout the Dome. Falcons premium seat holders will enjoy remodeled suites and new luxury seating, as well as expanded and enhanced club lounge areas. As part of the renovations, the Falcons will introduce "super suites" to the Georgia Dome. These suites allow individuals to purchase assigned seats within an expanded suite environment that includes private concessions, flat screen televisions and other upscale amenities.
In addition, the concourse and entry gates to the Dome will be renovated, scoreboard video screens will double in size, and new LED ribbon boards will display enhanced graphics from end zone to end zone. Finally, the plans include a facelift to the exterior of the Dome in the form of new paint in Falcons-themed colors.
"The improvements announced today will provide more value to our fans on game day and hopefully be another step in keeping the Dome a first-class facility," said Falcons Owner and CEO Arthur Blank. "Since the Dome was built in 1992, 23 NFL stadiums have been built, substantially renovated or are in planning stages. Like our commitment to putting a competitive team on the field, we are also committed to being competitive in others areas such as this. We want to provide a great game day experience for our fans, and this is one more way in which we can do that."
Suite and club seat area enhancements are expected to be completed before the 2007 football season, and the remainder of the improvements will be completed before the 2008 season. Some work will begin as early as this year. The cost of the enhancements is in excess of $30 million, which will be funded by the Falcons. The enhancement projects will be managed by Staubach & Company, with TVS&A as architects and Holder Construction as general contractor.
The Falcons and members of the Georgia World Congress Center Authority have been engaged in discussions regarding Dome enhancements for about 18 months.
"We have always viewed our relationship with the Falcons as a partnership," said Dan Graveline, executive director of the Georgia World Congress Center Authority. "We will continue to work with the team to find creative solutions that enhance the experience of the fans as well as those of our other major customers."
The Falcons will seek additional opportunities for enhancements to the Dome. "Continued improvements to the Dome are important to our long-term relationship with the Georgia World Congress Center Authority, as well as to providing value to our fans over time," Blank noted. "Our talks with the Authority over the past 1 ½ years have brought us to this point, and we hope to continue discussions that will lead to more agreements that will benefit our fans, the Falcons and the Georgia Dome."
The Atlanta Falcons have played at the Georgia Dome since its construction in 1992. Arthur Blank acquired the club in 2002. Since then, the Falcons and Georgia Dome have enjoyed 43 consecutive sold-out games. The Falcons currently have a waiting list of more than 60,000 fans for season tickets.
