There's been a lot of conjecture about this topic over the past several months. They've talking about building a stadium downtown. They've talked about revamping the Georgia Dome. They've talked moving to the burbs. But now it's officially official.

Atlanta's mayor and Falcons owner Arthur Blank have agreed to financing terms for a new $1 billion, retractable-roof stadium to replace the 20-year-old Georgia Dome and keep the team's home games in the city's downtown, the two men said Thursday.

Basically Atlanta will cover 20 percent of the projected cost. The Falcons will cover the remaining 80 percent as well as any money spent over budget. The stadium will be built in downtown Atlanta, just south of the Dome. When construction finishes, they will demolish the Dome. It will be a retractable roof stadium.

I'm a huge fan of getting this deal done. There are still some specifics to sort out, but the broad strokes of the deal are worked out. This really shows a commitment to the city and, in particular, the downtown portion of the city. Most of you are Georgia natives, and most of you have attended Falcons games at the Dome. Let's be honest, the area surrounding the dome isn't exactly thriving. Ideally, this new stadium can change that in some respects. And it should help avoid blackouts for a while.

Thoughts?