Mayor Kasim Reed says Atlanta has reached a $19.5 million preliminary deal to buy the property of one of two churches needed to build a new stadium for the Atlanta Falcons.

Reed said Tuesday that the deal must still be ratified by officials at Friendship Baptist Church.

But that agreement does not amount to much unless the Georgia World Congress Center Authority can reach a similar deal with Mount Vernon Baptist Church. Those talks broke down recently. Afterward, the authority said it would explore a different site north of the Georgia Dome.

Reed said he asked former Atlanta Mayor Andrew Young to serve as an intermediary to help relaunch talks between the state agency and Mount Vernon Baptist Church.

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