MINNEAPOLIS - New Vikings Stadium (65,115)

[JJG]

Originally Posted by RMB2007

One of the failed proposals:

Now THIS one looks a bit like Cowboys..... I can spot 5 similarities right off the top.

[dande]

This looks great!

[Raggydoo]

The roofline looks a lot like University of Phoenix Stadium

[WesTexas]

Originally Posted by JJG

Now THIS one looks a bit like Cowboys..... I can spot 5 similarities right off the top.

I spot similarities to Cowboys stadium, UofP, What ever Seattle is calling their stadium, Lucas and Met Life.

[GunnerJacket]

Well, NFL stadia are trending in a universal direction, pending budgets and the desire for premium seating to be clustered on one side. I'm guessing the Falcons prospective new stadium would be very similar to the proposals shown here, as Blank and company have touted an open end that could showcase the downtown skyline.

I like the general form for this concept, though I'm unsure about the exterior. Would definitely be a showcase venue compared to the Metrodome.

[will101]

I like the design, but I have questions. It does look like it is carved right out of the Cowboys/U of Phoenix mold. Are these still the "thinking out loud" drawings, or is this an actual, almost final design? Why do they want to do the retractable roof and the sliding vertical panels? Isn't that going to be even more expensive? And the distance shot with the mixture of color and black and white photography seems like it is designed to hide something. Is that just somebody thinking they are clever or what? And I really think that they should show how it will look with a foot of snow everywhere.

[RMB2007]

It's one of the rejected designs (HNTB).

[will101]

Originally Posted by RMB2007

It's one of the rejected designs (HNTB).

Ah. That wasn't clear to me.

[spectre000]

Groundbreaking for new Vikings stadium set for October 2013


Article by: RICHARD MERYHEW , December 7, 2012

"The long-awaited groundbreaking for the $975 million Vikings stadium is tentatively set for October 2013, an official with the Minnesota Sports Facilities Authority said Friday.

The date, announced by authority chairwoman Michele Kelm-Helgen at the board's morning meeting, is the most specific timeline mentioned so far for the start of the project, to be built on the Metrodome site in downtown Minneapolis..."

"... the authority and team set a target construction cost of $690 million, which doesn't include costs associated with land acquisition, parking and skyway costs and internal finishes.

The remainder of the $975 million will be spent on "soft" costs, or sums paid for design, legal or consulting fees, Kelm-Helgen said.

Firms bidding for the construction manager contract must submit proposals by Jan. 8. The authority and team hope to narrow the list by Jan. 11 and announce a hire by Jan. 25.

Kelm-Helgen said the first schematic design of the facility is expected by early March.

The Vikings hope to open the new stadium in time for the 2016 NFL season."

[Avian001]

Interest in the area surrounding the new stadium is increasing.

Ryan Companies and the Minneapolis Star/Tribune have announced a development next to the new Vikings Stadium. Whatever it becomes, it sounds like it's going to be BIG (not necessarily tall), comprising 4 square blocks. 1 million+ square feet of office + potential residential/commercial. From the articles it sounds like Wells Fargo could be the primary tenant. They are looking at the site for a new campus to consolidate downtown employees who are not already in the Wells Fargo Tower (which would remain as the regional HQ).


MinnPost Article

Business Journal Article

What this will hopefully do is finally connect the stadium to the core and get rid of 3 blocks of surface parking.
NOTE: This image only shows the schematic placement of the stadium and is not meant to represent a final design.


Source

[wherespancakehouse]

http://www.twincities.com/sports/ci_...tractable-roof

Whatever the answer, Bagley said, it must fall within the $975 million budget. As for whether the roof might be open on a day like Sunday, with heavy snow and temperatures near 30, that is a decision the Vikings would like to contemplate.

"It's not so much days like today as the fall days, when we have a beautiful fall day," Bagley said. "We can have great football weather here in Minnesota. We'd still have to sort out the issue of when to open the roof toward the end of the season. I know (owner Zygi) Wilf would have a preference to keep the roof open on cold days but we'd have to sort that out with the NFL."

This blurb from last weekend's St. Paul paper gives me hope. It's great to hear that Wilf actually has interest in keeping the roof open for the duration of the season. Whether he'll feel that way after the numbers come back on the incremental cost for a drainage system or a roof vs wall is another story. But it's still good to hear. As for NFL weather rules regarding retractable roof stadiums, I have to believe a deal can be made. Fans love a good snow game. I know I'm always more likely to stop on a game where the snow is flying.

[wherespancakehouse]

Reclaiming the coldest homefield advantage in the NFL is a better identity than being one of seven dome teams.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z5W6BYDHj9g

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p5qDQUozZeY
22 minute mark for weather at the Met -- bring back the Odin statue

[wherespancakehouse]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z5W6BYDHj9g

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p5qDQUozZeY
22 minute mark for weather at the Met -- bring back the Odin statue

[RMB2007]

EDEN PRAIRIE, Minn. -- Ground will be broken on the Minnesota Vikings' new stadium in downtown Minneapolis during the 2013 season, according to a press release sent out Wednesday by the Minnesota Sports Facilities Authority.

The Vikings and MSFA, who have been working together on the stadium project, said that while the project "remains on time and on budget" they have decided to push back the announcement of a construction manager to Feb. 1.

The design of the stadium will be unveiled in the spring.

The stadium will sit on the same footprint as the Metrodome.

Because the new venue will take up far more ground than the Metrodome, the ground breaking will occur behind the current stadium. The Vikings likely will spend the 2014 and 2015 seasons playing at TCF Bank Stadium on the University of Minnesota campus before moving into their new home in 2016.

HKS Sports & Entertainment already has been hired as the architectural firm for the stadium.

The Vikings also sent out another survey to season-ticket holders on Wednesday to get feedback on the "fan experience."

http://www.1500espn.com/sportswire/G...3_season010213

[bewilder2]

Originally Posted by Avian001

Interest in the area surrounding the new stadium is increasing.

Ryan Companies and the Minneapolis Star/Tribune have announced a development next to the new Vikings Stadium. Whatever it becomes, it sounds like it's going to be BIG (not necessarily tall), comprising 4 square blocks. 1 million+ square feet of office + potential residential/commercial. From the articles it sounds like Wells Fargo could be the primary tenant. They are looking at the site for a new campus to consolidate downtown employees who are not already in the Wells Fargo Tower (which would remain as the regional HQ).


MinnPost Article

Business Journal Article

What this will hopefully do is finally connect the stadium to the core and get rid of 3 blocks of surface parking.
NOTE: This image only shows the schematic placement of the stadium and is not meant to represent a final design.


Source

NOOOO!!!! I was really hoping for a big park to connect the rest of downtown to the stadium.

[bewilder2]

Originally Posted by RMB2007

http://www.1500espn.com/sportswire/G...3_season010213

Interesting they note 2 years at TCF, they have been hoping for only 1, but I always wondered how they could possibly get that done.

[will101]

Originally Posted by bewilder2

Interesting they note 2 years at TCF, they have been hoping for only 1, but I always wondered how they could possibly get that done.

They were probably hoping to accomplish something similar to what the baseball Cardinals were able to pull off with their new stadium. By the time their last season in the old park ended, the construction was already about 75% complete on a section from near the third base dugout around to the right field corner. And as the old stadium was demolished, they were able to build around towards left field. They weren't quite finished with that left field area until the middle of the next season, but the rest was good to go, all on basically the same footprint, and no games had to be moved.

[bewilder2]

Originally Posted by will101

They were probably hoping to accomplish something similar to what the baseball Cardinals were able to pull off with their new stadium. By the time their last season in the old park ended, the construction was already about 75% complete on a section from near the third base dugout around to the right field corner. And as the old stadium was demolished, they were able to build around towards left field. They weren't quite finished with that left field area until the middle of the next season, but the rest was good to go, all on basically the same footprint, and no games had to be moved.

The Vikes only planned a tad more space that overlapped between new and old. Just a tad. [sarcasm]

Basically they've given in to reality.

[will101]

Originally Posted by bewilder2

The Vikes only planned a tad more space that overlapped between new and old. Just a tad. [sarcasm]

Basically they've given in to reality.

I still think that only one season at TCF is logistically possible, IF they break ground in the spring. But things just seem to move slowly up there.

[GreenHornet553]

I wish the Vikings could be able to build a nice outdoor stadium, rather than being forced in to a climate controlled dome. The Met was a great arena for the Vikings, and it gave them a great advantage come playoff time.