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MINNEAPOLIS - U.S. Bank Stadium (66,655)

2M views 5K replies 358 participants last post by  MikeVegas 
#1 · (Edited)
NFL


Minnesota Vikings

Final schematic design from HKS Architects inc.

Main entry perspective from the light rail station



The stadium in it's site


Seating bowl perspective



New development + park adjacent to stadium



Expected details
- capacity 65,115: expandable to 72,000 for Superbowls, World Cup etc.
- Fixed, largely transparent ETFE Roof
- Largest pivoting doors in the world, 5 x 95'-50'
- 1.75 million gsf
- 124-142 suites
- +/-96 Loges
- 8,100 club seats in 6 different clubs
- 8,160 sf LED screen, 4,400 sf LED screen, 2 360 degree LED ribbon boards.
- Retractable north sideline to allow for baseball use.
- Large commercial/residential development with two city block park towards downtown
- Large public plazas
-Completion summer 2016


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Previously:

2008 scheme:

Ellerbe Becket just released the first conceptuals for the latest stadium proposal for the Vikings, officially from the Metropolitan Sports Facilities Commission (not the Vikings) requested these. The Vikings are believed to be working on a different proposal for the same location, probably with HOK, those plans should be available some time in August.

This plan involves using much of the infrastructure from the Metrodome, and possibly some of the existing structure. This is somewhat cheaper than the last plan, at about $850 million (still high, although $100 million less than last year's, and a little over half of the price of the new Meadowlands)
I am not entirely sure about the exterior, but if this idea does end up going through it will probably change a fair bit.

Interior render




exterior perspective


Areal


Link to Ellerbe plan
http://www.ellerbebecket.com/success/newsitem/454/Metrodome_Designers_Unveil_Extreme_Makover_Stadium_Edition_.html
There have already been 4 serious proposals in the last seven years, so it's no sure thing, but the Metrodome lease expires in 2011 so something will probably be underway by then.
 
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#352 ·
That would be awsome, IMO the Metrodome site is the ideal spot, especially if they refitted the armory and turned the Star tribune site into a proper urban central park, Then develop good mixed use along the edges up towards government plaza, that would really get the east side of downtown into good shape and not just a sea of parking with the odd building. Linden hills looks pretty solid as well, but I think they really did get the stadium spot right in the '70s
 
#354 ·
I never said perfect, I said ideal, the best option there is not a perfect one. Yes they would have to lose a little money for two seasons but would be much better off for the next 30. And if they were to add in temporary seating at TCF, which would almost certainly happen, they could maintain capacity and really just be short on suites for two years.

Also getting a stadium built adjacent to the oldest Basilica in the country where the Catholic church absolutely has some political sway won't be easy and will almost certainly alter the design from what teams ideal is. The Linden avenue site also lacks the potential to create a truly grand urban gesture within downtown proper which could make the nearby property massively appealing. On top of that the infrastructure and utilities are already in place on the Metrodome site but would need improvement for either the Linden Ave or Farmers Market sites.
 
#356 ·
They sure do have some change for bigoted dvds, but they still have some clout like it or not. And no matter what your views on religion the Basilica is something of a masterpiece that will be quite difficult to relate to with a stadium substantially larger than it.
 
#360 ·
Apparently, Governor Dayton wants the new stadium to be built on the current Metrodome site. However, the Vikings are still pushing for Arden Hills.

Vikings stadium: Wilf 'optimistic' on Dome site, but Arden Hills isn't out of the running

Minnesota Vikings owner Zygi Wilf said Wednesday that he is optimistic a new stadium could work at the Metrodome site but he doesn't consider the Arden Hills plan dead.

Emerging from a three-hour meeting with Minnesota Gov. Mark Dayton, Wilf was asked whether he would accept the Dome location if it were the only option. His response: "We're doing our due diligence right now."

As for the $1.1 billion proposal on 430 acres in the northern suburbs, which has long been the team's preferred option, Wilf said:

"Arden Hills is not out of the picture. We would still like to explore, but we would leave it up to the legislative working group to decide where they would want us to work hardest at."

One of the two leaders of that working group, state Sen. Julie Rosen, R-Fairmont, said its members are scheduled to meet today.

"We are not ready to commit to a single site," Rosen said, "but it is happening, and we're moving forward, and we're going to have a bill as soon as the negotiations continue."

She said the food and beverage tax proposed by Ramsey County leaders to finance the local share of the cost of the Arden Hills project "is not going to work."

But she left a small window of opportunity for county officials.

"If they can come back to us with another proposal to keep this alive by the end of the week, then we'll take another look at it," Rosen said. "But at this point, it's not doable as far as I'm concerned."

Team officials have said they'll
put up $425 million for the Arden Hills project but have not specified their contribution to a Minneapolis stadium.

As for the state contribution, Rosen said it's likely to involve gambling revenue.

The two leading contenders to produce that revenue are slot machines at horse tracks - so-called racinos - and electronic pulltabs.

Rosen said her preference was pulltabs.

Dayton has said he wants to pay the entire state portion of a stadium's costs with revenue from electronic pulltabs.

Authorizing an electronic version of the game now played on paper in bars and restaurants could generate $60 million in tax revenue for the state per year, roughly half of which would be used to finance the state contribution of $340 million for the Dome site, Dayton has said.

Politically, pulltabs would allow lawmakers to claim new gambling revenue without running afoul of American Indian tribes, which oppose racinos and other stadium-related gambling proposals.

Metropolitan Sports Facilities Commission Chairman Ted Mondale said the state could expect a 30-year net return of $198 million with the Dome project through tax collections over and above what the state puts in.

Wilf and his brother Mark attended the private meeting at the governor's Capitol office Wednesday along with Mondale, Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak, other city officials and key lawmakers.

Several participants stressed the importance of having all the key players in the same room.

Dayton's goal for the meeting was to get the parties to agree in principle to build a stadium on the Dome site.

He has concluded it is the only option with a chance to pass the Legislature this year.

"I think we made excellent progress today," Dayton said.

But he said it was clear the group would not be able to answer all stadium-related questions Wednesday.

Dayton said the group planned to meet again next week. In the meantime, he said, lawmakers will move ahead with their process while Minneapolis, the Vikings and the Metropolitan Sports Facilities Commission will work "full time, all the time, round the clock until we get this nailed down, and then we'll bring the principals back together again with the goal of getting it resolved if it's resolvable."

Wilf acknowledged some frustration with the process.

"There's always going to be a level of frustration when you're dealing with the political world as a business person, so we'll just have to take it as it goes along and making sure that we reach our ultimate goal and getting a stadium done," he said. "We're very excited that we're getting closer. A lot of hard work's ahead of us, but we feel optimistic and confident that we'll get something done."

State Rep. Morrie Lanning, R-Moorhead, the chief lawmaker on stadium issues in the House, said after the meeting that among the issues Minneapolis leaders need to address is getting an indication from the city council about what it will support.

The stadium is on the agenda of today's Minneapolis City Council meeting, and Lanning said he hopes something emerges "that we can hang our hat on."

At the meeting, Rybak and council President Barbara Johnson were expected to update the council's committee of the whole on the stadium talks and the city's proposal.

John Stiles, the mayor's spokesman, said it was difficult to gauge the council's support because there was much about the plan that still needed to be worked out with the Vikings and the Legislature.

"The important thing to note is, does the council support it or not support it, and the question is, 'Support what?' Right now, nobody knows that," Stiles said. "It's a completely hypothetical question."

Lawmakers also want to be assured the logistical issues and additional costs involved with the team playing temporarily at the University of Minnesota's TCF Bank Stadium while the Dome site construction is done can be worked out, Lanning said.

The team and city also are trying to resolve various parking and site-related issues, he said.

Another concern with the Minneapolis plan is how to handle a charter amendment that caps the city's contribution to a sports stadium at $10 million without a voter referendum.

Rybak said money to renovate Target Center, which is part of the Dome renovation proposal, will need to stay in the package in order to secure support from the city council.

"There's not going to be an easy vote on this" at the city council or the Legislature, Rybak said, but "I think it's a doable deal."

Lanning said he understood Rybak's position but that including Target Center will likely cost stadium backers some votes in the Legislature.

"That's one of the things we have to weigh," Lanning said. "That's why this is so difficult to put this together...this is just another example of the kind of juggling we have to do in order to get this resolved."

The Dome rebuild is estimated to cost $918 million.

Minneapolis leaders have proposed contributing $313 million to the project. They plan to redirect taxes that support the convention center to the tune of $6.5 million per year to start, plus $150 million for capital costs on the facility.

Another proposed site in Minneapolis, near the Basilica of St. Mary, has been in the running at a cost of $995 million, but Dayton essentially ruled it out this week, in part because of objections from Basilica officials.

Meanwhile, Ramsey County officials who had backed Arden Hills as a stadium site say Minneapolis has a long way to go to prove its plan can work and win approval.

County Commissioner Tony Bennett equated Minneapolis' plan to extend taxes supporting its convention center to help pay for the stadium to a tax increase.

"They say it isn't a new tax if you extend the tax 30 years. Well, it's kind of like saying a fee isn't a tax," he said. "The Legislature is going to have to vote to extend it, and to me, that's an increase in taxes."

Meanwhile, Ramsey County will work to fine-tune its Arden Hills proposal, though he cautioned there will not likely be any big changes this week.
http://www.twincities.com/sports/ci_19818081
 
#365 ·
It just keeps getting more and more interesting....

Now it seems that the Vikings are looking into building the new stadium east of the Metrodome. This new proposal calls for the new stadium to be built on the parking lot next to the Dome, with 11th Avenue running underneath it.:nuts:

Latest Vikings stadium proposal: Build on Metrodome parking lot

St. Paul, Minn. — Engineers, finance experts and stadium negotiators are trying to figure out if they can fit almost two stadiums where the Metrodome now stands.

Planners are sketching out the details for yet another site for a downtown Minneapolis Vikings stadium. The proposal would put the new stadium in the Metrodome parking lot and could mean the Vikings would have to play few, if any, games at the University of Minnesota's TCF Bank stadium.

The plan could allow the Vikings to play in the existing facility while a new one is under construction right outside, possibly taking over the street between the Metrodome and Interstate 35W.

The Metropolitan Sports Facilities Commission is leading the study of the newest option -- now the fifth potential configuration of a downtown stadium, said commission chairman Ted Mondale.

"What we're looking at now is pushing back over 11th Avenue, further back, so that we would have two-thirds, three-fourths of the stadium done before you take the Dome down," Mondale said.

It's a variation on a previous plan, which would have spilled over onto an adjacent property. That could have involved condemning and relocating a major telecommunications hub, just east of the Metrodome.

The new plan saves that building and is more affordable, Mondale said.

"You know, we're looking to see if there's a way that we wouldn't have to go to TCF Bank field, for the team, or a limited amount of time, which would allow us to put capital time and effort that would go into TCF Bank Stadium into the future home of the Vikings, which we all think makes a lot of sense," he said.

The proposal could have the team in a new facility by 2016, with only a handful of home games out of downtown.

But this latest Metrodome plan still has problems.

It may mean a major change in the connection between downtown with the University of Minnesota's West Bank. Fourth Street would have to be reconfigured where it runs just north of the Metrodome. From there, it heads below grade and heads east under the Hiawatha light rail tracks and 35W.

That road work is a key unknown, Mondale said.

"It seems to show promise, but until you get the engineers saying we're going to do this and it's going to cost this, and here's how it would work and this is the time frame... The question is, 'How much would this cost?'" he said. "If its $120 million more, it doesn't work."

The Vikings themselves could also be a road block. The team already has a handshake deal to build a new stadium in Arden Hills, but Gov. Mark Dayton ruled out that site last month, as well as two others along Interstate 94 on the western edge of downtown. Dayton said they're not feasible in the current legislature.

The team has agreed to look at other options, but said team owners aren't convinced this latest plan is affordable.

Team vice president Lester Bagley said they're concerned with the electrical substation just north of the 5th Street freeway entrance. It would potentially have to be moved or buried underground to make room for the new stadium.

City and stadium consultants think it's doable, Bagley said.

"They're optimistic about it," he said. "We're looking at it and our real estate people are not quite there yet."

Keeping the team downtown could avoid nearly $50 million in extra team costs to relocate NFL games to the University, Bagley said.

"It would either limit or eliminate our seasons at TCF Bank Stadium, and there's some major challenges there," he said. "They're still working on that. I don't think there's an answer yet."

The entire deal is also contingent on approval by lawmakers.

The state is expected to put up nearly one-third of the money for a new field, and stadium bill sponsor Rep. Morrie Lanning, R-Moorhead, says it's very late in the game to be making big changes in stadium sites.

"We're getting down to the wire now, and if we don't hear something in the next couple of weeks, it's going to be very difficult to get this whole thing processed yet this legislative session," he said.

The Sports Facilities Commission and other planners hope to release details on the latest plan by Tuesday.
http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2012/02/06/new-vikings-stadium-plan-downtown/
 
#366 ·
It just keeps getting more and more interesting....

Now it seems that the Vikings are looking into building the new stadium east of the Metrodome. This new proposal calls for the new stadium to be built on the parking lot next to the Dome, with 11th Avenue running underneath it.:nuts:

There is a 17 foot grade change from the Metrodome plaza to 11th avenue, so it shouldn't be too awkward from an engineering standpoint, keep in mind that highways pass under the edge of target field and the associated parking ramps. Passing over the substation is as big of a design challenge as any, though with some clever engineering it should be doable (that portion is gonna look funny if this gets built though).
The really smart thing about this scheme is that once the new structure is up and the Dome is torn down then the current lower seating bowl can be converted into a large below grade parking structure with a sizable park/plaza at street level, something downtown east is lacking. This is conceptually the smartest plan I've seen yet for a new Vikings stadium in terms of urban relationships and potential benefit to the city. It will be interesting to see what visuals come forth from AECOM in the coming weeks.
 
#371 ·
That would require a season or two of playing at TCF Bank Stadium which wouldn't generate as much revenue as playing at the Metrodome until the bitter end. Due to the NFL's revenue sharing system, that not only "hurts" the vikings, but every other team in the league.
 
#380 ·
Verily. Due to everyone's inability to see a compromise this has become the US version of the new White Hart Lane!

I love it when the team owners and leagues whine about temporary revenue losses when needing to play elsewhere while their new palaces are being constructed. If you don't have any other options then take the hit and move forward. In the meantime, while moaning and complaining and delaying the inevitable you're simply raising construction costs and delaying further the date for when you'll begin realizing the new, greater revenue stream.

But not for hubris the Vikes could've already been done with a season or two at TCF Bank and be staring a rebuilt Metrodome in the face come next fall. Instead pro sports owners are like teenagers, who think they're immortal, all-knowing and all deserving. Collectively they're a bunch of nimrods in this behavior.
 
#375 ·
Most people in Minneapolis would like a new stadium where the Metrodome is, so would the Mayor and the Governor; the Vikings would like a new stadium and the development rights to a few thousand acres in Arden Hills, most fans would be fine with the Farmers Market site, the Metrodome or Arden Hills. The real point is no one wants to pay for it.
 
#378 ·
^^I was wondering about something.

Are there any chances that the new stadium will be an open-air one?

It would be nice if the new stadium were roofless, so that it could match up to Lambeau Field.

But if the new stadium needs to have a roof, I hope its dome will be as high as the Georgia Dome.:)
 
#381 ·
The Vikings were actually making some noise about an open air venue i the last couple years, but it would seem to have been a ploy to get the city/state to cover 100% of the roof costs leaving the team with a smaller overall portion to pay. I think most fans (or at least me and the majority of the people I know around here) would love an open air stadium, tons of people feel that moving indoors was the dumbest thing the team could do. But when push comes to shove it seems that all of the parties at the table (team, city, state) want a roof in some capacity. Its really too bad in a way, though with out the roof we'll never see late round NCAA basketball or the Superbowl around here again.
 
#382 ·
"...Expect nothing to get done this year"

Vikings Stadium Update: Team Can't Move So State Doesn't Care About New Venue

The Minnesota Vikings will likely go another year without any kind of plan on the table whatsoever. While it's unlikely that the team actually moves forward with potential plans to relocate for 2012, they have until Wednesday to notify the league. It's not likely that they're able to get something done in that regard though, as there doesn't seem to be anywhere for them to go.

This realization that there isn't much of a threat of the Vikings actually leaving has basically made the legislators completely ignore the situation for the time being. Despite the fact that important stadium issues can still be worked on, it looks like everybody is happy to put it on the back-burner, as they have for the last decade. The Star Tribune has a quote from Representative Ryan Winkler that is illuminating in that regard:

"The Vikings have tried to create the impression, through somewhat subtle threats, that they could move," said Rep. Ryan Winkler, DFL-Golden Valley. "But ... I think there's a growing realization that the Vikings have nowhere to go."

In other words, the Vikings are bluffing so the state can do whatever they want to them. The article also includes a quote from Governor Mark Dayton, in which he is already talking about next year, which is just about the closest thing you can get to him saying "the stadium plans are done this year. It's not going to happen."

While it's true that there are still some things that can be decided, it would likely mean the Vikings moving ahead with a proposal that they're not fond of so they can finally get a new place to play sooner rather than very much later. Really, the Vikings deserve better than that, but that's how it is. If nothing is done over the next week to two weeks, expect nothing to get done this year.
http://minnesota.sbnation.com/minne...adium-update-relocation-metrodome-mark-dayton

So in short, the Vikings have until tomorrow to give notification of their plans to relocate. Obviously, that's not gonna happen. And the state of Minnesota doesn't care anymore. Thus, the Vikings are stuck where they are.

I guess the Vikings will have to sign a short-term lease on the Metrodome, and hope something will get done sooner or later.

Tough luck, guys. Better luck next year.:yawn:
 
#383 ·
So in short, the Vikings have until tomorrow to give notification of their plans to relocate. Obviously, that's not gonna happen. And the state of Minnesota doesn't care anymore. Thus, the Vikings are stuck where they are.

I guess the Vikings will have to sign a short-term lease on the Metrodome, and hope something will get done sooner or later.

Tough luck, guys. Better luck next year.:yawn:
One good bit of info: there is a new G-4 program, with contributions being made of up to $200 million. At least, that's what the Niners are getting. If the Vikings visit the legislature next year, with a package that includes the likely G-4 money, and another $300 million from suites, PSLs and naming rights, that should make the rest of the package easier to put together.
 
#384 ·
Closer to a resolution,

Sources: Vikings, state, Minneapolis have preliminary stadium deal

"By ROCHELLE OLSON AND MIKE KASZUBA

Minneapolis, the state and the Minnesota Vikings have reached preliminary agreement on the division of costs for a $975 million stadium on a site at or near the 30-year-old Metrodome, according to multiple sources who spoke Friday on condition of anonymity.

The city would contribute $150 million in construction costs to the downtown Minneapolis project. The state would pay $398 million and the Vikings would pay $427 million. The city also would pay approximately $180 million in operating costs over the next 30 years, the sources said..."

"...If the preliminary agreement holds, it is only the beginning. The package would need to pass the Legislature and likely the Minneapolis City Council – neither of which is assured. The National Football League would also have to approve the agreement..."
 
#385 ·
From the perspective of this division rival (Bears fan) this is truly great news. I loathed the idea of not having a Vikings team in Minnesota to root against. To many more great Bears-Vikes games for decades to come! :cheers:

http://www.chicagotribune.com/sport...ent-to-build-stadium-20120217,0,7690922.story

Report: Vikings strike agreement to build stadium

Tribune News Services

10:00 p.m. CST, February 17, 2012

The Minnesota Vikings have reportedly struck a preliminary agreement with Minneapolis city and state officials on a new stadium to be built at or near a site of the team's current building, the Metrodome.

The Minneapolis Star Tribune reported a number of anonymous sources told the paper the city would cover about $330,000 in construction and operating costs over the next 30 years. The state, meanwhile, would pay $398 million and the Vikings would chip in $427 million.

An announcement on the $975 million stadium is expected next week, according to the paper.

The team's lease recently expired, pushing the issue to the front-burner of state officials' agendas.

Officials indicate the parking lot next to the Metrodome may be large enough to house the new stadium, taking care of the locale issue.

"We've gone from the Vikings playing at TCF (on the U of M campus) for three years, to maybe two years to maybe no time," Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak said of a new analysis of the site, according to kaaltv.com.
...
 
#387 ·
As near as I can tell, the answers are maybe and sort of. The 'maybe' comes from the lack of definitive plans at this stage. The 'sort of' comes from the lack of final legislative approval, but having an actual team involved, which also makes the plan eligible for up to $200 million from the NFL's new G-4 plan.
 
#388 ·
One thing that wasn't mentioned in the preliminary agreement revelation was what time of roof it will have: open, closed or retractable.

My gut tells me it will be a closed, with perhaps some retractable facades on the side. But I hope for a retractable.

Personally, while I like the glass facades of the Lucas Oil Stadium, the rest of it screams bland, aesthetically.
 
#390 ·
I'd be shocked if this does end up looking anything like Lucas Oil given its location, context etc. As for whether or not the roof is retractable, I would guess the $975 million budget should allow for one along with at least one retractable wall (every Aecom proposal has included them so far, and HKS loves them so it seems very likely). Hopefully we can see some visuals and detailed financing in the next month or so, then one can really determine the likelyhood of if, and how well its going to to be resolved.
Please don't tell me they are gonna spend all that money on this stadium and NOT put a retractable roof on it!!! Waste of time and money...
 
#389 ·
I'd be shocked if this does end up looking anything like Lucas Oil given its location, context etc. As for whether or not the roof is retractable, I would guess the $975 million budget should allow for one along with at least one retractable wall (every Aecom proposal has included them so far, and HKS loves them so it seems very likely). Hopefully we can see some visuals and detailed financing in the next month or so, then one can really determine the likelyhood of if, and how well its going to to be resolved.
 
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