Countdown: Georgia Dome Demolition

The Georgia Dome opened its doors in September 1992. Now, a quarter-century later, Atlanta has replaced the Falcons’ football arena with a bigger, badder, more brazenly-branded stadium.

“The Dome wasn’t very old,” reported SB Nation, “but Falcons owner Arthur Blank wanted a state-of-the-art facility for his NFL and MLS teams.” And we know if a billionaire owner wants something, he gets it, even if it means that the public needs to chip in $700 million and there is actually nothing wrong with the old building.

Granted, Blank did kick in a chunk of change for the $1.6 billion stadium, and the payoff has been huge. According to Forbes, since 2013, when it was announced that the Dome would be torn down in place of the new Mercedes-Benz stadium, the Falcons value has increased more than 150 percent to an estimated $2.475 billion. Blank’s net worth has grown to almost $4 billion.

So what will the old Dome become? Decent affordable housing for a city that desperately needs it? More jobs for a community right next to the former Dome, which includes some of the poorest neighborhoods in the city? Nope; it will soon be the “Home Depot Backyard,” a 13-acre tailgating venue and yet another monument to Falcons owner and Home Depot co-founder Arthur Blank. A hotel is also planned for the former Georgia Dome site.

Gee willikers, Mayor Blank; we sure are grateful for the Mercedes-Benz mammoth you helped plop down next door to the good ol’ Dome. Stadium neighbors are especially thrilled with the gift you’ve given them. Now, we just need to torch that totally useless bleacher box.

Get ready; demo day is fast approaching. Tune in next Monday for the explosive event.

What will the annihilation of the Dome look like? It comes on the heels of the Georgia Archives building implosion, which took place last March. Check out the CL video below shot by contributor Brandon English.