MINNEAPOLIS - New Vikings Stadium (65,115)

[Benn]

Originally Posted by Jericho-79

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.

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.

[Jericho-79]

"...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/minnes...me-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.

[will101]

Originally Posted by Jericho-79

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.

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.

[spectre000]

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..."

[nomarandlee]

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!

http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports...,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.

...

[Jericho-79]

Two questions:

Will this proposed stadium be built on the southeastern side of the Metrodome (where the Xcel substation is located), as previously conjured up?

Is this deal as "tentative" as the Farmers Field project?

[will101]

Originally Posted by Jericho-79

Two questions:

Will this proposed stadium be built on the southeastern side of the Metrodome (where the Xcel substation is located), as previously conjured up?

Is this deal as "tentative" as the Farmers Field project?

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.

[bewilder2]

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.

[Benn]

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.

[shhyvoodoo]

Originally Posted by bewilder2

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.

Originally Posted by Benn

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...

[Benn]

Theres been talk both ways, if they maintain the budget at about $1 billion I would say yes it will have a retractable roof, if the budget drops by a substantial amount then it probably goes to a fixed roof.

[spectre000]

This could mean trouble for any stadium plan in Minneapolis. A stadium in Arden Hills is going to run into the same "referendum" problem as well.


Minneapolis council holds the line on Vikings stadium
Article by: ERIC ROPER , Star Tribune Updated: February 24, 2012 - 11:23 PM

"A seven-member bloc on the City Council favors a referendum on any Viking stadium subsidy..."

"...Seven of the 13 council members -- representing south Minneapolis, downtown and University neighborhoods -- have said they oppose the mayor's plan to pay the city's share of a $1 billion stadium using existing hospitality taxes, absent a citywide referendum. The state and the team are expected to pay for the rest..."

[wherespancakehouse]

Originally Posted by Jericho-79

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.

The football fan in me still holds out hope that everything will come crashing down and somehow a scaled down outdoor stadium in the suburbs will win out. That's not looking too good right now.

With a token Super Bowl and multiple Final Four NCAA tournaments on the line, I can't blame the state for insisting on a roof. Undoubtedly, the best return on investment for a public project.

I know the Vikings have liked Lucas Oil as their showroom stadium. Can anyone confirm whether this most recent Mpls price tag is based on retractable or fixed roof? Either way, I think a new spin on Ford Field or Lucas Oil Field is about what you can expect.

[Avian001]

Announcement due today for a deal on a new Vikings Stadium in downtown Minneapolis:

http://www.startribune.com/local/min...140984883.html

[spectre000]

The State, City of Minneapolis and the Vikings have agreed to an overall financial plan for a new stadium.

http://www.startribune.com/politics/...141027143.html
"State contribution to new Vikings stadium: $398 million
By Rachel E. Stassen-Berger

After days of intense, closed-door meetings, DFL Gov. Mark Dayton and the Minnesota Vikings on Thursday morning announced an agreement for what the governor called, "a new people's stadium" in downtown Minneapolis.

The new $975 million stadium would be open by 2016, under the plan. The deal remains contingent upon legislative and Minneapolis City Council approval..."


Here is the site plan.

[GunnerJacket]

At the macro scale the financials seem about as good as any City/State can expect to get these days (which isn't to say that's great), but the particulars of the deal are mired in more contingencies and kickers then I'm inclined to automatically embrace. Too soon to gauge my in-laws thoughts but the comments on the paper's web site imply the locals are not thrilled.

I've not seen whether they've run an economic model like those from REMI or LOCI to see how close, if at all, this will come to yielding return on the public investment. Based on the preliminaries run for a proposed new Falcons stadium I'd say the governments are still paying some $100M more than they should. If Zigi is going to reap all the revenue returns and use outside sources (NFL +) to cover the Vikes share of the up-front costs, methinks the State can do much better.

All that being said, the location and movement to secure a domed/retractable roof venue are ideal, IMO.

[Somnifor]

I wouldn't be surprised if the city council votes this down. Public stadiums are not popular with the Minneapolis electorate.

[Mplsuptown]

Originally Posted by Somnifor

I wouldn't be surprised if the city council votes this down. Public stadiums are not popular with the Minneapolis electorate.

I'm thinking that the City Council will look very bad (worse than they already do) to most of the rest of the state.

[spectre000]

More details,

How the new stadium would look and operate

"-- The new stadium would have a fixed roof, with an option to go retractable "without any increase to the funding provided by state or city." That would seem to suggest that if the Vikings want a retractable roof, they'd have to pay for it.

-- No word on what kind of fixed roof it would be, but chances are it won't be another fiberglass bubble like the one that's covered the Metrodome for 30 years; that stadium design went out years ago.

-- It would have 65,000 seats -- expandable to 72,000 for big events like the Super Bowl -- and include about 150 suites and 7,500 club seats.

-- A new parking ramp would be built north of the stadium, on property already owned by the Wilf family, connected to the stadium by a skyway; an underground ramp to the west may be connected by tunnel.

-- The current Metropolitan Sports Facilities Commission would dissolve and be replaced by a new stadium commission with five members, three appointed by the governor and two by Minneapolis, to own and operate the stadium on the public's behalf.

-- The Vikings have exclusive rights to bring Major League Soccer to the new stadium within five years of its opening, and the team could play there without paying additional rent. "The team intends to actively evaluate pursuing an MLS franchise," the term sheet says.

-- The Vikings would be able to use the stadium for up to 10 dates each year for non-NFL or professional soccer events, such as an NFL draft party, without paying additional rent.

-- The stadium hasn't yet been designed, but stadium commissioner Ted Mondale said one model is Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, a downtown stadium that hosted this year's Super Bowl. Lucas Oil is used throughout the term sheet as an example of minimal operating standards that would be applied to the Minneapolis stadium.

-- The Vikings would have the right to sell the naming rights and collect the revenue for it, but the stadium authority will be able to approve or reject the name to ensure it doesn't cause embarrassment. That means no "sexually explicit subject matter, business or enterprise or any firearms, or tobacco company."

-- Yes, Purple People, the new stadium would have space set aside -- perhaps a small, hushed amphitheater with a spotlight on Fran Tarkenton's helmet -- for a Vikings Hall of Fame."

[Benn]

Interesting to see the "aggressive persuit" of an MLS franchise, a second franchise would be benificial for downtown east business, though an MLS team in an NFL stadium is almost always problematic (and we do not quite have Seattle's passion for the beautiful game).

Would have preferred retractable roof as opposed to fixed, but if they use Cowboy Stadium style retractable wall towards downtown and enough glazing around the top then a fixed metal roof is acceptable in my mind.

And I am really happy to see a project on this site moving forward, Aecom has been doing extensive studies for years and it seem like we will see something interesting in the very near future, even if there is a fixed roof.