New stadium for Falcons faces political pressure

The Atlanta Falcons want a new stadium but are hitting political snags. (Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)

A proposed new $1 billion stadium for the Atlanta Falcons is hitting snags and politicians are asking Falcons owner Arthur Blank to cut his request for public funding by $100 million, reports the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

Georgia governor Nathan Deal has asked Blank to reduce the asking price for public funding from $300 million to $200 million. The city's mayor says it could take $200 million to get the stadium project off the ground.

"The Falcons have a strong case in favor of a new stadium, and I think it's incumbent on them to educate the public on all the facts," Deal said in a statement Friday.

Other options could include tax breaks or incentives for the project or an attempt to route the bonds through Invest Atlanta, the city’s economic development arm, rather than through the state.