Falcons building environmentally responsible stadium

 

 

Scott Jenkins, who was appointed general manager of the new Atlanta Stadium back in early 2014, is leading the charge. WXIA

Jeff Hullinger, WXIA-TV, Atlanta1:05 p.m. EDT April 23, 2015

 

 

(Photo: Atlanta Falcons)

 

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ATLANTA (WXIA) – With Earth Day comes a focus on treating the environment in a responsible fashion.

The Atlanta Falcons are building a $1.5 billion facility in downtown Atlanta. Their stadium general manager is one of the country's foremost sports executives in creating and supporting green sustainable structures.

Scott Jenkins is a disciple of environmental responsibility as it relates to sports franchises. He lives large and small.

MORE | Falcons stadium price tag jumps again, to $1.5 billion

AS the new stadium rises toward its 2017 completion and opening, Jenkins is focused on not wasting a moment, or wasting anything.

"Since it's 'Trash on Your Back' week, talking trash is a good thing," Jenkins said.

Yes, and talking trash is currency in sports, and on this day, currency is the "trash on your back."

 

 

 

 

Like so many other organizations and companies, the Atlanta Falcons are going green. Scott Jenkins, who was appointed general manager of the new Atlanta Stadium back in early 2014, is leading the charge.

Scott is on the board of advisors for "Trash on Your Back." You eat or drink it, and you carry the packaging all week on your person.

"I made a mistake last night, and got home from my son's baseball game, and was thirsty," he said. "Tot the fridge I went, grabbed a nearly empty bottle of juice, poured it, drank it, and recycled – oh, not – I have to carry it now."

He is also helping carry a facility under construction that will help change the life of Atlanta.

"We think we will be the most environmentally friendly building out there with two years to go- -But we'll find out when we open with what kind of certification we get through LEED, but we are trying to raise the bar to what anybody has done to date," he said.

So the question is this -- do sports fans really care that it's not easy being green? Jenkins who also heads up the Paul Allen financed Green Sports Alliance says -- oh yeah.

"Within the last year the green sports alliance we surveyed a thousand sports fans from around the country -- 82 percent of sports fans said they are concerned about the environment," Jenkins said.

PHOTOS | Fly-through view of new Atlanta Stadium

 

 

 

 

 

In a brand-new fly-through video of the New Atlanta Stadium, viewers are taken on a unique tour in point-of-view fashion beginning one mile above the stadium’s circular retractable roof and through many of the stadium’s key areas. (Photo: NewAtlantaStadium.com)

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As for the Falcons football environment, there will be little waste in tandem with technology.

"We will be extremely water efficient -- we'll have renewable energy on site. Our sports lighting will be LED lighting, so most of the LED will last way longer than traditional lighting and will use a fraction of the energy."

The stadium will be treated as an outdoor stadium thus ventilating it naturally, Rain water will be stored -- 680,000 gallons to run the cooling towers -- no domestic water from Atlanta.

"In the short run does it add to the cost? Yes, it does. You have to invest to get something good," Jenkins said. "Usually with an investment there is a return and clearly we are investing a little more money to do it right," Jenkins said.

For now it's building and waiting -- even the mobile offices on site are collecting rainwater. This will be collected for Trees Atlanta. A nice touch -- small as it may be.