Falcons reach deal with Atlanta church for possible stadium site

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Atlanta mayor Kasim Reed announced that the Friendship Baptist Church has agreed to sell its property to the Falcons. The land is one of two possible sites for the Falcons' new stadium.

By Jon Benne@LordBenne Aug 6, 2013, 12:28pm EDT

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The Atlanta Falcons have reached a deal with the Friendship Baptist Church, ending the facilitation between the two parties and the City of Atlanta. Mayor Kasim Reed announced that the church has agreed to sell its property to the Falcons for $19.5 million. No city funds will be involved in the transaction.

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The church sits on one of two sites the Falcons are considering for their new, $1 billion stadium. The south site contains both the Friendship Baptist Church and the Mount Vernon Baptist Church (with which the Falcons don't yet have a deal), while the north site is located about a half-mile away from the Georgia Dome and Vine City MARTA station.

Mayor Reed has indicated a strong preference for the south site due to its proximity to two MARTA stations and the Georgia World Congress Center. Purchasing the church property clears one big hurdle in that direction.

The Falcons' new stadium is tentatively scheduled to open in 2017.