Channel: TDC

Category: News & Politics

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Description: Atlanta's Mercedes-Benz Stadium is the most expensive stadium ever built. The $1.6 billion price tag was driven by a spectacular retractable roof design, an LED video board that is by far the world's largest, and the pursuit of LEED platinum certification. Subscribe to TDC: youtube.com/TheDailyConversation More info: mercedesbenzstadium.com/mercedes-benz-stadium en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mercedes-Benz_Stadium Video by Bryce Plank and Robin West Most videos courtesy of Mercedes Benz stadium/Atlanta Falcons Music: "Abysmal" by Open Ocean "Hero Theme" by MK2 "Phife for Life" by Otis McDonald "Staccato" by Vibe Tracks Script: Which sport do you think will be played in the most expensive stadium ever built? If you said American football, you’re right. This is the story of Atlanta’s $1.6 billion Mercedes Benz Stadium that’s set to open by the end of the summer. It will be home to the world’s most spectacular roof and will be the first NFL stadium to achieve the highest certification in Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design. “For a roof to open in this fashion, with eight petals that actually move in a straight line, we can’t find another precedent ever in the world.” The roof was inspired by the oculus in the ancient Roman Pantheon and takes the retractable concept to a whole other level. The first retractable roof in a major sports venue was Civic Arena — home to the Pittsburgh Penguins — and the first large stadium to have a ceiling that opened to the stars was Toronto’s SkyDome. Not only will Mercedes Benz have the most complex roof ever constructed, but it’s ridiculous 58-foot-tall halo video board will be three times larger than the one in Jacksonville, the reigning king of LED displays. The project also landed the city the Atlanta United, an MLS expansion franchise that began play this year. Mechanized curtains will cover the upper deck during matches, providing the more intimate feel common to other MLS venues. This entire stadium effort doubles down on the success of its predecessor, The Georgia Dome. It was the only facility in the world to play host to the Olympics, Super Bowl, and Final Four. Atlanta’s centralized location is part of the secret to its success as a sports mecca. It has by far the busiest airport in the United States, making it the most convenient spot in the country to travel to. The new stadium is already scheduled to hold championships for the next three years: 2018’s College Football Playoff National Championship, Super Bowl LIII in 2019, and the 2020 NCAA Final Four. [Falcons’ Owner Arthur Blank] “I think downtown Atlanta is very unique, I think the stadium itself is very unique. I think it sends the right message to many cities in terms of public-private partnerships that are honored in the NFL. As co-founder of The Home Depot in 1978, Blank has built an empire selling quality products that people use everyday. To achieve the elusive platinum LEED certification, the stadium is using tons of recyclable materials and will have 4,000 solar panels to generate enough renewable electricity to power nine Falcons home games. Overall it will use 29% less electricity than a baseline stadium of its size. It will collect millions of gallons of rainwater for HVAC cooling towers and for irrigating the surrounding landscape that will include edible blueberry bushes and apple trees. The project was even recognized by the Obama administration for its commitment to sustainability. [Stadium General Manager Scott Jenkins] “It became apparent that platinum was within reach and that really excited me to know that we could be the first professional stadium to reach platinum. That’s why I came here from Seattle, I wanted to be a part of this project, because of Arthur’s commitment to quality and Arthur’s commitment to doing the right thing.” The stadium will be financed by about $550 million of public money, with the majority coming from a tax on local hotel bookings through the year 2050. This funding scheme makes sense from a local perspective, let the out of town visitors pay for it. It also seems like a win-win for Atlanta residents and their city council members who approved the project. Still, $550 million is a lot of money for citizens of the state of Georgia to spend on a stadium, especially one whose primary tenant will be the richest sports league in the world. That 7% tax on hotel rooms could’ve gone to many other things that would enrich people’s lives more in the long run rather than the immediate gratification of building a shrine to sports stars. Still, hosting so many massive events will also have economic benefits for the city, not to mention the pride and prestige it will add to downtown. Atlanta quarterback and reigning NFL MVP Matt Ryan — who was just one magical Tom Brady drive away from a championship — summed up the excitement surrounding the new stadium: [Matt Ryan] “Atlanta’s such a great town..."