To build or not to build? Falcons stadium debate wages on - Atlanta News, Weather, Traffic, and Sports | FOX 5

Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed says it would be a dangerous game for the city not to support the push for a new home for the Falcons.  Some residents argue that the Georgia Dome should be saved, and there's no need to invest millions of public dollars for a new facility.  

The Georgia Dome is 20 years old, and while it still looks good, there are fancier facilities in other NFL cities.  A heated debate continues to brew over whether or not public cash should be used to fund a new future home for the Falcons.
 
The team says it needs to tear down the old stadium and build a new one to gain additional revenue.  But not everyone thinks that's a great idea.  Atlantan Baker Owens told FOX 5 it's not a good idea in this economy, citing the high foreclosure rate, a crisis in local schools, and the ongoing city sewer issue as reasons not to look at building a new stadium now.

But Mayor Reed disagrees.  He says he's 100 percent behind what he sees as a balanced investment approach.  Reed says Falcons owner Arthur Blank would write a $700 million check, while the city would kick in $300 million to build the new facility.  Reed says it's more likely that the city will get another Super Bowl if a new stadium is built. 

Owens says he's willing to jeopardize those Super Bowl commitments to avoid using public funds for a new stadium.  

Meanwhile, officials in Vine City and English Avenue, the neighborhoods which surround the dome area, say they want a say-so in what happens.  They believe they should have the rights to a share in profits from a new facility, including parking and concessions.  

Reed says he thinks the more the public understands about the proposed new facility, the more they'll support it.  If a new stadium were to be built, it wouldn't be complete for 5-6 years after it is approved.