Good morning. This is LEADOFF, an early look at Atlanta sports.
Hundreds of media members toured Mercedes-Benz Stadium on Tuesday and saw a $1.5 billion building that looks just about ready for action.
And the action arrives soon: Stadium officials expect more than 50,000 Falcons and Atlanta United season-ticket holders to attend an open house Saturday, and the stadium will hold its official opening with a Falcons-Arizona Cardinals exhibition game Aug. 26.
A marathon project in the works for a decade, and under construction for 3 1/2 years, is closing in on completion.
“It’s really hard to imagine that you get to the finish line,” said Falcons president and CEO Rich McKay, who has been immersed in the project since 2007. “There were many times where you felt good about the progress. But progress is one thing, and getting to the finish line is another.
“I think the building is going to live up to what we said it was going to be.”
SEE PHOTO GALLERY: Inside completed Mercedes-Benz Stadium
Stadium officials showed off some of the signature features of the 2-million-square-foot building Tuesday, such as the massive oval video board, the 101-foot-tall column wrapped on three sides in LED display and the wall of windows framing a view of the city.
Other than the problematic retractable roof, which is expected to remain closed for events until at least October, if not longer, everything looks ready, or close to it.
The concession stands are being stocked. The Falcons’ logo adorns midfield. About 10 NFL staffers were on site Tuesday, making a final test of the stadium’s readiness for football by checking many aspects of game-day operations.
Punch-list items are being worked through in the suites and other places. A curtain system that can be used to seal off the upper deck for Atlanta United matches will be installed this week or next.
“We’ve got a lot of cleaning to do,” said Bill Darden, president of Darden & Company, the project management firm overseeing development of the stadium. “We’re still putting signage up in some key areas. We’re just detailing out the last-minute things.”
Please click here for full MyAJC.com story on the latest stadium tour.
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