National Football League

Design and budget for Falcons stadium approved

Published Oct. 29, 2013 10:53 p.m. ET

foxsports

Officials have approved the design and a preliminary $1.2 billion budget for a new Atlanta Falcons stadium.

The Georgia World Congress Center Authority board of governors on Tuesday unanimously approved the complete schematic design and the budget, which is up $200 million from the previous estimate.

The design was recently completed by an architecture firm. The design team had presented a conceptual design earlier this year, but officials say the new version includes more details.

Board chairman Tim Lowe told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution that the extra $200 million included in the budget will be covered by the Falcons.

Bonds backed by the city's hotel-motel tax are set to cover $200 million of the stadium's cost, while the rest is to be covered by the team, the NFL and personal seat license sales.