Vikings: It’s 4th down for stadium funding

05/17/2007

By Paul Levy,
Star Tribune
May 17, 2007


The Metropolitan Sports Facilities Commission, seeking public approval and financial assistance for a new Vikings stadium on the site of the Metrodome, will make a last-gasp presentation Friday morning before the House Taxes Committee at the Capitol.

With the 2007 Legislative session expected to end this weekend, the Vikings and the commission are realistically positioning themselves for next year.

An urban planner hired by the commission to devise a blueprint to renovate the downtown-east section of Minneapolis, has come up with a plan for a $954 million stadium with a retractable roof.

In a recent interview with the Star Tribune, Vikings owner Zygi Wilf said the team would be willing to pay for about one-third the stadium cost, minus the cost of the roof. That would put the Vikings' contribution for a stadium at around $250 million, but leaving nearly a $750 million gap. The roof is expected to cost about $200 million.

There is no known financial partner for the Vikings, but the commission offered an outline Thursday that gave timetable for the design of the stadium, dealing with infrastructure issues, a public relations campaign and developing a model for financing.

The Vikings will try to promote the stadium with a statewide "tailgating" campaign, one much more comprehensive than the team's usual offseason promotions, said Lester Bagley, Vikings vice president for public affairs and stadium construction.