Of Football Stadiums and Public Infrastructure

In March 2013 the Atlanta City Council voted to approve a new $1 billion stadium for the Falcons.  Officially the City will contribute 20 percent of the price tag.  However, the City has agreed to hand over 39.3 percent of its hotel and motel tax revenue to the Falcons until 2050, which means the contribution of the city could be considerably greater.

As the watchdog website Field of Schemes observes: "The Falcons will be playing in a new [$1 billion] stadium circa 2017, and the Georgia Dome, built at a public cost of $214 million in 1992 and renovated for another $300 million in 2007, won’t live to see its 25th birthday."

In the meantime, here is the ASCE infrastructure report for Georgia:

Water and Environment

DAMS

• 484 high hazard dams.

DRINKING WATER

•  $8.9 billion in drinking water infrastructure needs of the next 20 years.

HAZARDOUS WASTE

• 15 sites on the National Priorities List.

LEVEES

• Georgia has approximately 23 miles of levees on FEMA Midterm Levee Inventory.

WASTEWATER

• $89 million in wastewater infrastructure needs over the next 20 years.

Transportation

BRIDGES

• 878 of the 14,739 bridges in Georgia (6.0%) are considered structurally deficient. 
• 1,871 of the 14,739 bridges in Georgia (12.7%) are considered functionally obsolete.

ROADS

• $374 million a year in extra vehicle repairs from driving on roads in need of repair
• 19% of Georgia’s roads are in poor or mediocre condition.

Public Facilities

PARKS AND RECREATION

• Georgia has reported an unmet need of $123 million for its parks system.

SCHOOLS

• It is estimated that Georgia schools have $5.2 billion in infrastructure funding needs.