Falcons announce planned upgrades for weight room, locker room and more

The Falcons made some big investments to upgrade their personnel this offseason, and the organization now has its sights set on improving the team’s amenities.

On Wednesday, the team announced a series of forthcoming renovations and expansions of IBM Performance Field located in Flowery Branch. Among the planned upgrades are a new two-story strength and conditioning wing, which will carry the added benefit of improving the dining experience.

“Construction will start in early July on a two-story strength and conditioning center on the south side of the existing main structure at IBM Performance Field,” a Falcons’ press release states. “The addition, which will allow for a seamless open-air transition from the workout areas to the outside practice fields, will include a second-floor mezzanine with a focus on cardio equipment. Concurrently, renovation and expansion of the facility’s back-of-house dining area will take place with the construction more than doubling the size of the two spaces.”

Included in the release were mockups of what the new weight room will look like.

This announcement comes in the wake of the latest NFLPA Report Card, which collected feedback from 1,300 players on their respective clubs. Atlanta ranked 23^rd out of the league’s 32 teams with particularly poor marks in the strength training and locker room categories where they ranked 27^th and 25^th, respectively.

Having personally set foot in Atlanta’s current weight room and locker room, I can confirm that renovations are needed. The equipment and extra touch-ups have been first-class for some time, but the space itself is restrictive and from an older era.

That will change at the conclusion of the 2023 season when the Falcons have plans to greatly expand the player locker room and surrounding areas.

“The second phase of construction will start at the completion of the 2023 season with the expansion and renovation of the existing players’ locker room at IBM Performance Field,” The team statement reads. “The project will more than double the size of the locker room with 90 lockers while also adding significant space to the equipment room along with the coaches and staff locker room areas.”

In the NFLPA Report Card, the Falcons received a D for their team locker room with players specifically noting it has “small physical lockers” and “feels old.” Players gave Atlanta’s weight room a C- grade, and the overarching note from the report reads: “Players feel that there is not nearly enough space to do what they need to do.”

These renovations should go a long way with the players on the roster, who clearly have been underwhelmed thus far. For a team that isn’t leaving a stone unturned in its quest to once again become an annual playoff contender, there’s good synergy here.

The new strength and conditioning center as well as the expanded cafeteria are expected to be completed by the start of Falcons training camp in 2024. Locker room upgrades are expected to be finished early in the 2024 season.