Mercedes-Benz Stadium is facing new questions about whether its "one-of-a-kind retractable roof will open and close as planned for its first games this year," according to Sams & Wenk of the ATLANTA BUSINESS CHRONICLE. Sources said that for weeks, concerns have been "circulating about the roof’s functionality." The Georgia World Congress Center Authority (GWCCA), the state agency that will own the stadium, notified the Falcons it was "receiving inquiries about whether the roof will work." The roof is supposed to be a showcase feature of the new $1.5B stadium, with "multiple petal-like panels that can open and close to let in various amounts of sunlight." The GWCCA issued a statement yesterday saying it is getting a "new construction update and would have more details in about a week." The announcement "raises the possibility of another delay in completion of the stadium, which was originally scheduled to open in March" (BIZJOURNALS.com, 3/28). In Atlanta, Tim Tucker notes the complex roof already has "delayed the opening twice -- first from the original target of March 1 to June 1 and then from June 1 to July 30." AMB Group CEO Steve Cannon said, "No announced event dates have been changed, and work is moving forward at a rapid pace." Mercedes-Benz Stadium’s first scheduled event is an Atlanta United match on July 30, followed by two more United matches in August and two Chick-fil-A Kickoff college-football games in early September. It is "not known whether the Georgia Dome, which officially closed after a Monster Jam trucks show on March 5 and is slated for demolition this summer, could be an option at this point to host more events if necessary" (ATLANTA JOURNAL-CONSTITUTION, 3/29).
