Report: Atlanta Falcons won’t be able to open the roof of their new stadium for the foreseeable future

The Atlanta Falcons have a brand new stadium. It’s named after a fancy car brand (“Mercedes Benz Stadium”) and it is itself quite fancy. From cheap concessions to the largest video board in the United States (7th biggest in the world), this place is built to impress. But then there’s the roof. I’m no math whiz, which means my engineering skills are lacking, but that thing is complicated. And because it’s so complicated, it’s been a persistent challenge during construction.

We now know that Mercedes Benz Stadium will open in time for the Falcons’ August 26th preseason game against the Arizona Cardinals. But the roof itself is a still a work in progress. Steve Cannon, the CEO of AMB Group, announced today that the roof will not be fully operable for some time.

“The event calendar is pretty tight,” Cannon said after the board meeting. “We’re going to be doing the mechanization in the background [of these events]. Cannon said he is “confident” the roof will be operable for at least part of the Falcons season, as well as the Atlanta United season, whose final regular season home game is currently scheduled for October 22. Afterward, Atlanta Falcons CEO and President Rich McKay said he expected the roof will be operable for “more than one” Falcons game.

Here’s the short version: the roof can open and close. It’s possible, but it’s not fully automated yet. Getting the roof to full automation is a process and that process may not be complete for months. So if you’re a season ticket holder or headed to any Falcons games this Fall, don’t expect an open roof.

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