Atlanta may turn out to be one of the greenest cities in the United States when a new sustainable stadium is completed this summer. The new state-of-the-art $1.5 billion Mercedes-Benz Stadium with a retractable roof, which is the impending home of the NFL's Atlanta Falcons and MLS' Atlanta United FC, is set to open on July 30, 2017. The stadium will take the place of the 25-year-old Georgia Dome.
Mercedes-Benz Stadium, the home of which Arthur Blank owns the Falcons and United FC, seeks to become the first NFL and MLS stadium to be certified Leadership in Energy and Environment Design (LEED) Premium.
The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) developed LEED certification that runs one of the most suitable and respected certification green-building programs in the nation.
"Arthur Blank's vision for Mercedes-Benz Stadium was to be a game changer in the industry by creating a world-class sports and entertainment venue that also sets a new professional and collegiate sports standard for sustainable design and operations," the General Manager of Mercedes-Benz Stadium and Chairman of the Green Sports Alliance Scott Jenkins said in an email.
Prior to joining the Falcons, Jenkins served the Philadelphia Eagles as a vice president of stadium operations and facility management. He also served the Seattle Marines as a vice president of the ballpark operations.
Atlanta stadium saves 29 percent of energy used
The stadium intends to live up to the environmental achievements.
"This design allows the building to save 29 percent in energy usage compared to a typical stadium," Jenkins said. "We'll achieve that in part through the 4,000 solar panels we're installing. Those who will help produce around 1.6 million kilowatt hours per year of clean, renewable energy, enough to power 9 Atlanta Falcons home games or 13 Atlanta United home matches."
As the sustainability becomes a new trend in sports, Waste Management estimates that professional sports leagues, such as NBA, NFL, MLB and NHL, incorporate to produce 35,000 metric tons of CO2 from their fans' waste annually.
Contribution to sustainability
The stadium may expand the audience base and open up to new sponsorship opportunities.
The survey filled out by 66 percent of Falcons fans showed how valuable and substantial the environmental sustainability in sporting events could be. In an effort to attract consumers, setting by example and giving back to fans around the community in Atlanta is indispensable, according to Jenkins.
The Stadium has teamed up with Novelis, a world leader in aluminum products that produce solutions for the most demanding global applications, including beverage cans, as a partner. Those partners organized a campaign that helped improve recycling habits around the stadium.
Major sporting events hosted at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in the future
Several major sporting events are already scheduled at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, including College Football Playoff National Championship (January 8, 2018), Super Bowl LIII (2019) and men's basketball Final Four (2020).
Jenkins noted that the stadium has business partnerships with iconic restaurant brands and best-in-class local and minority-owned restaurants that offer organic food and beverage options, including Snackology 101 Market and Farm Burger, to fans. The items of Snackology 101 Market include kale salad option and hummus paired with organic veggies.
Check out the video for more information on the stadium below:
