Minnesota Vikings Stadium: State To "Significantly Lower" Estimates For Road Repairs
by Christopher Gates on May 18, 2011 12:39 PM CDT
in Minnesota Vikings Stadium
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PrintOne of the big sticking points in the proposed Arden Hills stadium bill to this point is how much the roads around the current Twin Cities Army Ammunition Plant site will need to be upgraded, and the cost of doing those upgrades. The state has said that any contribution that they will be making to the stadium cause will have to take those road repairs into account, and that the state's contribution will not be any more than $300 million.
Well, ESPN NFC North blogger Kevin Seifert has given us some good news on that front, via "The Twitter."
#Vikings VP Bagley told KFAN that state will "significantly" lower $ estimate for road upgrades near proposed Arden Hills stadium.less than a minute ago via Echofon 
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Well, a smaller contribution towards road repairs is a positive thing,unless I'm reading it incorrectly. A study had been done previously saying that the cost of the road repairs alone could reach $240 million or so, a number that Ramsey County insists is far, far greater than the repairs will actually cost. It appears as though Ramsey County is right, in this case, which is a good thing for the stadium bill and the Minnesota Vikings.
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I only really see one disagreement b/w the state and county
and it’s regarding the cost of the roads. The state says they were throwing in 300 million max, and any cost of the roads would come out of that. They are thinking the roads would take up 200 million but the Vikings (or arden hills) should come up with that, so in essence, the state would only put in 100 millionish.
The thing that i don’t get is, Arden hills has always said, it isn’t going to cost as much as they think for the roads, one because there were already improvements slated to be made regardless, and 2, the improvements can go over time. they aren’t a necessity as much as a convenience.
plus, the thing that everyone seems to forget, with tailgating, the traffic will be scattered. you figure on a noon game, tailgating opens about 3 hours before. (at least that was the case in KC, my main point of reference) the die hards will get there somewhere around 9, and everyone else will trickle in throughout 3 hours. also leaving the stadium, people still tailgate after, so it again will probably be a 3 hour window after the game would get over that people leave. I don’t think it will be nearly as big of an issue as people are making it out to be.
Also this is only 8-12 sundays a year (preseason and post season maybes) but road improvements are a necessity 365 days a year regardless
by filbert33 on May 18, 2011 1:18 PM CDT reply actions 2 recs
rec'd
You stated it nicely. Most improvements will have to be made anyhow. The improvements will help out the weekday bottlenecks. The Vikes usually play on Sundays.
Your fantasy football expert since Jerry Rice's rookie year.
Most of the improvements
Were in the works long before this stadium was a twinkle in Ramsey County’s eye. Trying to tack the road improvements (which are LOOONG overdue) on to the overall cost of the Vikings stadium is pathetic and dishonest (aka bureaucratic).
Hopefully this calms the idiots that insist on lumping them together though.
Bogus argument.
Derailing the proposal for a Vikings stadium in Arden Hills with the argument that the transportation infrastructure upgrades would cost too much has repeatedly struck me as bogus. And it is largely for the reasons that filbert33 stated so succinctly. As a resident of Ramsey County who goes over the roads in question every week, I have been wondering for years when we would see the same improvements to 35W that we have seen on 35E. Any development of the TCAAP site in Arden Hills (either commercial or residential) would require improving the roads in that area and, because 35W is a conduit for Minnesota tourism (expected to be higher this summer because people can’t afford to fly out of state) the state has an fiduciary obligation to improve those roads for the sake of state commerce. To use the cost of the road repair to kill a stadium proposal in Arden Hills was always suspect, but now we find that it was also inflated. Hopefully, commonsense will prevail so the deal can get done.
Life being what it is, one dreams of revenge.
- Paul Gauguin
by Skol Girl on May 18, 2011 1:47 PM CDT reply actions 1 recs
"fiduciary"
I hate when people do this…but +1
by Jepp The Viking on May 18, 2011 2:31 PM CDT up reply actions
Haven't seen that around these parts in decades...
Hopefully, commonsense will prevail so the deal can get done.
New figure
is 131M, according to Chip Scoggins.
by Jepp The Viking on May 18, 2011 2:36 PM CDT reply actions
$131 million for road improvements to Arden Hills. Means $169M from State to stadium. Who’s coming up with the extra $131M?
Hrm..
I’d get creative and lease out parking lots to corporations. 3M tailgating lot, Best Buy, Target. That way you could generate $/time and the companies involved would get a LOT of advertising exposure. Just an idea.
by Jepp The Viking on May 18, 2011 3:48 PM CDT up reply actions
The NFL has now made it standard practice to throw in 150 mil...
for new stadiums…So, that would eat up the difference.
Refer to the article on Goodell meeting with Gov. Dayton.
SKOL VIKES!!!
I will not be PONDERing anything, ever again....I'm so tired of this pun. Maybe we could use antonyms to be different, like: "FORGET about last season, as we COGITATE about winning in 2011!"...Whatever, SKOL VIKES!!!
NFL's contribution
is part of the 407 last i heard.
and i heard it was around 50 mil right now, becuase the remainder is subject to negotiation
Last I heard
The NFL would kick in about $150 million, but this was under last years rules. Also, this general fund with which they doled out the money from ran dry after the new stadium in New York for the Giants/Jets, which received $300 million due to it being used by 2 different teams.
They'd have access to a fair amount of money according to Goodell
They would just need 24/32 owners to vote “yes” on using money from whatever fund they’d take it from. Not sure the exact figures, but that’s pretty good news. Owners want other teams to be successful, so they’d definitely want to vote “yes” so that 1) the Vikings are competitive and 2) the revenue-sharing goes away for Minny.
I'm still a Minnesotan at heart...
And 131 million is the newest # given .
No matter . Goodell will step in with 150M . The state 300M . Ziggy 407M . That totals 857M . That would normally cover the Arden Hills price . But Ziggy will need to kick in more . If the Lotto contributes the 125 they spoke of the total could be 977M . Just thinking aloud in my head .
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