The eventual replacement for the Georgia Dome as the home of the Atlanta Falcons had its groundbreaking ceremony on Monday night.

Commissioner Roger Goodell, owner Arthur Blank and mayor Kasim Reed were among the members to take part in the ceremony.

According to Tim Tucker of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, the $1.2 billion retractable roof stadium is scheduled to open in March 2017. Work on the project has already begun but Monday night’s ceremony was the official groundbreaking for the stadium.

Finding a location for the stadium proved problematic as a pair of churches located south of the Georgia Dome were unwilling to sell their properties. However, agreements were finally reached to clear the way for new stadium last September.

[photo courtesy of AtlantaFalcons.com]