Roof Of Mercedes Benz Stadium Won't Be Ready By Falcons Opener: ICYMI

ATLANTA, GA -- The retractable roof of the new Mercedes-Benz stadium is a work in progress and won’t be ready when the Atlanta Falcons make their season debut on Sept. 17, according to news reports. But stadium officials are still trying to open the venue in next month for Atlanta United's remaining home games and especially the Falcons preseason debut on August 26, Patch has learned.

Although construction delays portend to be the reason for the delay, the AMB Group, the consortium that runs the stadium, said that the roof on the $1.6 billion stadium will open later this fall. The venue still will wow fans when it opens in the coming days, the group said. (SIGN UP: Get Patch's Daily Newsletter and Real Time News Alerts. Or, if you have an iPhone, download the free Patch app.)

"Mercedes-Benz Stadium will open as planned on August 26 and the building will be magnificent," an AMB Group spokesman told WXIA-TV. "As we informed the GWCCA (Georgia World Congress Center Authority) board today, the roof will be in closed position for our opening events while some remaining work to fully automate the retractable portion of the roof is completed. That work will be done on non-event days and we expect to play select Atlanta Falcons and Atlanta United events in the open position later this fall."

Read more: What to eat at Mercedes Benz Stadium (PICS)

Atlanta's will be the fifth NFL stadium with a retractable roof. The other four are AT&T Stadium (Dallas Cowboys), Lucas Oil Stadium (Indianapolis Colts), NRG Stadium (Houston Texans), and University of Phoenix Stadium (Arizona Cardinals).

Image via Craig Johnson / Patch