Construction of Mercedes-Benz Stadium, which will be home to the Falcons and MLS expansion club Atlanta United FC, "won’t be completed in time for a long-planned" opening in March '17, according to a front-page piece by Tim Tucker of the ATLANTA JOURNAL-CONSTITUTION. The new "target date for completion" is June 1, 2017. That would "result in the stadium opening in time for the start of the Falcons’ planned first season there." But the delay means Atlanta United "won’t have use of its home stadium" for the first three months of the '17 season (ATLANTA JOURNAL-CONSTITUTION, 1/22). Atlanta United President Darren Eales said that the club "will begin the process of converting the pledges the MLS expansion team has received for season tickets into purchases within the next two months." In Atlanta, Doug Roberson noted the club has "received pledges to purchase more than 29,000 tickets, which includes deposits and corporate suites sales." Eales said that they "hoped to start purchases no later than the end of February and it will start in Founder’s Club member order." Eales said, "Everyone will be pleasantly surprised that we are trying to make seats affordable for everyone in our diverse fan base" (ATLANTA JOURNAL-CONSTITUTION, 1/19).
