ATLANTA — The Atlanta Falcons organization has received $850 million in permanent financing for the team’s new $1.2 billion Mercedes-Benz Stadium, scheduled to open next year.
Bank of America, SunTrust Banks and 18 institutional investors provided the financing, which will convert the stadium’s construction loans to long-term financing, according to reports by The Atlanta Journal Constitution.
The Falcons will repay the institutional investors — which provided roughly two-thirds of the financing — over 26 years, with the banks receiving payment over a shorter term.
The 2 million-square-foot development — designed through a collaboration between HOK, tvsdesign, Goode Van Slyke Architecture and Stanley Beaman & Sears — will have the capacity to seat up to 71,000 for NFL games. The stadium will also be home to the city’s new MLS soccer team, Atlanta United.
The Mercedes-Benz Stadium will feature a retractable roof designed in the shape of a Falcon’s wing; a 360-degree, HD halo video board built into the stadium’s roof; a technology lounge; a 100-yard bar; an exterior fan plaza; and a floor-to-ceiling window offering views of downtown Atlanta. Developers are seeking LEED Platinum certification for the project.
— Katie Sloan