The Atlanta Falcons’ received good news in Boston on Tuesday. In a meeting with all 32 NFL team owners, $200 million in NFL funding was awarded to construct the new new Falcons’ stadium.
The $200 million will account for a generous chunk of the $800 million in private funding required to build the $1 billion stadium. The rest of the private funding will come from the team itself. The $200 million in required public funding will come from bonds backed by Atlanta’s hotel-motel tax.
While Arthur Blank expressed gratitude for the league funding, he expressed interest in another endeavor: Atlanta to host a Super Bowl in 2019.
The league mandates that a new facility must be operational for at least one year before hosting a Super Bowl. The new stadium is projected to open in 2017, which makes the February 2019 Superbowl the earliest possible opportunity to host the event. Additionally, Blank hopes the new stadium will put Atlanta in the hosting rotation for the Super Bowl.