On June 18, 2013, plans for the new stadium for the NFL’s Falcons were approved by the Georgia World Congress Center Authority Board of Governors.  The architectural renderings are worth a look – http://bizjournals.com/atlanta/news/2013/06/18/official-new-falcons-stadium.html (last visited 6/26/2013).

The lead architect for the job, 360 Architecture, will work with three local firms  – Goode Van Slyke Architecture, Stanley Beaman & Sears, and tvdesign.  The stadium design calls for a transparent shell that serves to connect the stadium with the surrounding community. The retractable roof has been compared to an aperture on a camera lens that opens and closes to control the amount of light in a shot.

The team of general contractors currently slated for the job include Atlanta-based Holder Construction, Hunt Construction Group, H.J. Russell & Company and C.D. Moody Construction Company.  Construction of the new stadium is expected to commence in the first half of 2014.

Atlanta Falcons owner Arthur Blank hopes the stadium won’t only be used for American football.  Atlanta’s mens professional soccer team, the Atlanta Silverbacks, currently play in North America’s second-tier professional league (NASL).  There is buzz that a new stadium could earn the team promotion to Major Leagues Soccer (MLS), the U.S.’s top soccer league.