Navigation: Jump to content areas:


Pro Quality. Fan Perspective.
Login-facebook
Around SBN: The Most Dangerous Division in Sports

Minnesota Vikings Stadium: Preliminary Agreement Reportedly Reached

Stop me if you've heard this one. . .because, to be honest, you have. . .but according to the Minneapolis Star-Tribune, the Minnesota Vikings, the state of Minnesota, and the city of Minneapolis have reached a "preliminary agreement" for a new stadium for the team near the Metrodome.

Now, as Ted mentioned in his previous story, a "deal" and an "agreement" are two totally different things. The Vikings had an "agreement" with Arden Hills but, as we all know, nothing wound up coming of it. Now, however, there's an agreement that actually has some legislative blessing from the state of Minnesota, which is something that the Arden Hills deal never had.

According to the agreement, the Vikings' contribution would be approximately $427 million, while the state of Minnesota would contribute $398 million and the city of Minneapolis $150 million towards the construction of the stadium, bringing the total price tag to around $975 million. The city would pay $180 million in operating costs over the next 30 years. The proposed upgrades to the Target Center, which were not terribly well received, are not part of this project, according to reports.

This scenario has the Vikings paying a little less than 45% of the entire package, and I believe that the $427 million that they would still be the third-largest private contribution to a new stadium ever put forth. Naturally, it still won't be good enough for some people, but really, that's not a me problem, a you problem, or a Minnesota Vikings problem. . .that's a them problem.

The legislative session is about to hit the halfway point, and there is still some work to be done to get everybody on board with this, but this appears to be about as close as things have been since this entire circus got underway.

(Thanks to Purpledork for putting this in the FanShots first.)

Comment 31 comments  |  2 recs  | 

Do you like this story?

Comments

Display:

Fingers crossed

I hope this is a positive step towards a deal to keep the team in MN. I could use a drop in my blood pressure. By the way, I love this site. I am glad I found a new Purple home. You guys seem awesome and cheeseless.

Go Vikes!!!!

by LetsGoTwoSmokes on Feb 17, 2012 5:46 PM CST via mobile reply actions  

Absolutely!

I’ve came here for at least a couple yrs, used to be a part of purple-pride but they fell off apparently in the 5 yrs i didnt have internet lol. Theres a lot of times i came here this past season especially, being pretty sad about the outcome of alot of our season! Seem like alot of dudes here talked me back to reality….REALLY didnt expect Mcnabb to Mcdisappear like a magician tho hahaha…

SKOL!!!!!!!!!!!!! FOR LIFE!!!

by natedawg2133 on Feb 18, 2012 1:10 PM CST up reply actions  

Yay?

Ponder. Peterson. Percy. Purple Perfection.

by CCNorsemen on Feb 17, 2012 5:57 PM CST reply actions   1 recs

I'd Rec that

If I could in the app

by amiller92 on Feb 17, 2012 6:14 PM CST via iPhone app up reply actions  

Going to withhold any sort of emotion for now

No mention of where the State and city are getting their money from. One those details get released, i’ll more excited if they’re something that will actually pass.

Also, i’m surprised that the city would be paying the operating costs and not the team. I suppose it’s possible that they’d both pay a share and only the city released it’s share.

by Amrius on Feb 17, 2012 6:59 PM CST reply actions  

More to the point....

…. is how they are going to enable the flow of money. There doesn’t appear to be enough support on the Minneapolis City Council. With Senjem, perhaps they can rouse more Republican support at the state level?

by Vrooman on Feb 17, 2012 7:13 PM CST up reply actions  

wise to stay calm

The city money sure seems likely to be coming from the same place they have been talking about all along – redirecting the convention center taxes. My guess is the city is paying more operating costs than up front cost due to timing issues about when that money is no longer needed for the convention center. But that just a guess. Another possibility I maybe the $150 million keeps the city’s contribution under the $10 million a year that requires a referendum (if they think operating costs don’t matter)?

My guess is the state piece is still electronic pull tabs.

by amiller92 on Feb 18, 2012 9:55 AM CST via iPhone app up reply actions  

I'm curious....

while I don’t like the state paying for any of it, I wonder why they are picking up more for Minneapolis than they would for Arden Hills….and why the Vikings weren’t allowing any change to their “agreement” with Arden Hills in order to get the legislature to possibly approve it but were willing to work out a deal in Minneapolis…makes me think that the sentiment about “We are committed to Arden Hills because it gives the fans the best experience” was a bunch of bull shit.

by Chris3 on Feb 17, 2012 7:42 PM CST reply actions  

I tend to thing it's more of a...

“not nearly enough people in the legislature were willing to work with them on the Arden Hills project, so the Vikings took the best deal they could get in this session” type-thing. For whatever reason, they decided not to roll the dice and wait another year in hopes that they could get their ideal choice. But I could be wrong. Maybe Arden Hills was just a way of leveraging Minneapolis to get something together. But, deep down, I think that Arden Hills was their ideal choice. They may have known for awhile, though, that it had little chance of happening.

by Are we cursed? on Feb 17, 2012 8:22 PM CST up reply actions  

I think it's more of a

Ramsey County couldn’t find funding that didn’t require a tax increase thing.

Which I think because they tried thrice and failed.

by amiller92 on Feb 18, 2012 10:00 AM CST via iPhone app up reply actions  

Yes...

…b/c no new taxes legislators would vote for a tax increase just b/c the stadium was in Minneapolis…

by GoAUpher on Feb 19, 2012 11:27 PM CST up reply actions  

Arden Hills

Agreeing to the Arden Hills deal was a win-win for the Vikings. Not only would they have gotten the best stadium and the best site out of it, at worst, they could use Arden Hills as leverage to get the ball rolling on another site too. They really couldn’t lose by backing Arden Hills. The fact that the legislature wouldn’t approve the tax increase killed the proposal. But in the end, the Vikings could continue to use Arden Hills as another potential site in their negotiations with Minneapolis.

My own personal opinion is that the Vikings wanted Arden Hills all along, and gave it an honest shot knowing full well it wouldn’t pass. But they went through the motions of Arden Hills also knowing that it would trigger a response from Minneapolis and get the ball rolling.

Ponder. Peterson. Percy. Purple Perfection.

by CCNorsemen on Feb 17, 2012 8:38 PM CST up reply actions  

Well,

I feel Arden Hills was “the promised land” but I am so sick of the charade, I will take whatever they can come up with as long as it keeps the Vikings in Minnesota.

by Oi Oi Boy on Feb 17, 2012 8:55 PM CST up reply actions  

agree except

I don’t know if they knew it wouldn’t pass. It was a reasonable plan and might have passed in reasonable times.

But I do think they were willing to use it as leverage, which it seems they have.

by amiller92 on Feb 18, 2012 10:02 AM CST via iPhone app up reply actions  

I'm glad my taxes are going to something worth my while for a change.

I don’t get why everyone is so against tax dollars funding this stadium. Day after stinking day I watch my tax dollars go to people, associations, unions, theaters, schools, etc that have had little to no bearing on my life, or have not positively affected my life in any way, shape or form.

To listen to people get all Captain Grumpy and start throwing around BS-bombs because a few of their yearly sheckles will contribute to the greatest institution in MN (Vikings football) for likely the rest of our lives, makes me wish the state paid for the whole damn thing.

Guess what, those tax dollars ain’t coming back.. ever.. not with the flavor of politics this state favors.. So they might as well be spent on the Vikings, and not the baby mama with 12 kids, the fat Big Education machine, or the 47 theaters we have to appear oh-so cosmopolitan.

by Secondeye on Feb 17, 2012 9:21 PM CST up reply actions   1 recs

you mean

More than the Vikings and Ramsey County proposed they would for Arden Hills. The state never agrees to that.

by amiller92 on Feb 18, 2012 9:56 AM CST via iPhone app up reply actions  

I've heard this story before

I wont believe this is true, until the bill is 100% confirmed. This has happened, where a “deal” was said to be all but assured, but something happens and derails the project.

by mattnmics on Feb 17, 2012 8:20 PM CST reply actions  

i am just happy the Target Center crap is out of it

as much as i want(ed) the stadium in AH, i will be happy if a deal is reached in Mpls as long as the TC upgrades arent hitched to it. separation of lurch and state, or whatever.

"Th_r_'s n_ h_p_ f_r _ssh_l_ f_ckw_ts."

Can I buy a vowel...?? +1, Kluwe.

by rj-b on Feb 17, 2012 9:39 PM CST via Android app reply actions  

This might be a little random.

But you know that Ed Kohler douchebag who was here bitching about the stadium a few weeks ago? Well it turns out even Chris Kluwe thinks he’s an asshole
http://www.thedeets.com/2012/02/14/chriswarcraft-wilf-is-trying-to-put-a-quality-product-on-the-field/

Everybody is entitled to their own opinion, it's just that your's is stupid.
www.vikescity.info

by HolySchnikes on Feb 17, 2012 11:53 PM CST reply actions  

Hey, Does anyone knows if its still a retractable stadium? or domed?

And where is the location? Is this right next to the Metrod’oh?

White Horn Gold Pants

by DM_Purp on Feb 18, 2012 9:46 AM CST reply actions  

don't know about roof

Except its gotta gave one, give the price.

But it’s supposed to be immediately east of the dome, mostly on the existing parking lot and crossing over 11th Ave.

by amiller92 on Feb 18, 2012 10:05 AM CST via iPhone app up reply actions  

Didn't we just leave this party?

Or am I experiencing one of those Deja Vue dreams. Wait, can’t be that since we already been here.

Gentlemen! You can't fight in here, this is a war room!

by VikesFaninNM on Feb 18, 2012 9:55 AM CST reply actions  

i read those links....

and wow. what a d-bag. his little bar graphs were hilarious.

by Randytheviking17 on Feb 18, 2012 10:15 AM CST via Android app reply actions  

I've only got one real problem with this as-is.

30 years isn’t long enough.

Everyone fails. The successful learn from their failures. I just wish we'd quit giving ourselves so many learning opportunities.

by WhiteSpeedReceiver on Feb 18, 2012 11:47 AM CST reply actions  

Gonzo, never underestimate THEM, especially when They have a problem.

I’d like to say “don’t hold your breath”, but I think all we can do is “hold our breath”. I’m the same age as the Vikings, and I’ve lived in Mn. this whole time, and Yes, I have heard this before, but no, I’m not gonna stop you form finishing this story. This looks kinda good, but at the end of the day, so did quite a view of the other plans. Hope, hope is all we have my friends. Half a legislative session, that’s all the time we have, 1/2 a legislative session!! Please hold out hope, and yes, if you feel the need, hold your breath. There is not much time, the feces and the fan are about to meet. God I hope this ends well…

by Duluth Viking on Feb 18, 2012 1:26 PM CST reply actions  

When it comes to the MN legislature, I'll believe it when I see it

Sounds like a true Minnesota sports fan, right? We’ll its true.

Lets not forget we have the King of the double-speak Kurt Zellers still leading the House and he can’t commit one way or another on the stadium or any special session possibility. Then we have idiots like Dave Thomspn and David Hann in the Senate and while they may not be Assistant Majority Leaders anymore, they still presumably have big mouths which can do a lot of damage to this project, especially Thompson’s collasal mouth.

Hopefully, they are all defeated as soon as their terms are up.

Then you have the team having to contribute more ($427M) than they initally wanted. Remember Zygi said the price goes down if the site is not Arden Hills. I see him contributing no more than $300M personally with or without the help of the NFL’s G3 Fund, that is unless he’s willing to say “The Hell with it” and get the deal done in MN just for the sake of getting it done. I have my doubts.

But the biggest obstance is the face the Minneapolis City Council does NOT have the 7 necessary votes to approve their $150M contribution and with Target Center NOT being part of the deal, that is going to turn a lot of them off including Rybak who insisted upon it and hinted it was deal breaker. See the above link.

I still think the Republicans will find a way to muck this up in the end, this sounds too good to be true and I am just waiting for the excuses to start rolling in from Julie “Progress is being made every day” Rosen to Morrie “Same old thing different day” Lanning. They haven’t got a clue how to do this because in reality most Republicans don’t want this issue, not now not ever. They are just unfortunately the party in power when the time has come to get it done and we are beholdent to them and they know it. They really don’t want to do anything because they know whatever they do is going to hurt them come November politcally but lets face it, after the 2011 Government shutdown which will be succesfully tied to them, plus the fact their idea of “legislating” is taking the major issues like tradtional marriage, voter ID, and Right to Work and putting them on ballots as referendums instead of you know, actually doing their jobs and passing bills, they are the outgoing Majoirty party soon and they deserve it because they didn’t do enough.

by skolVikes84 on Feb 18, 2012 4:42 PM CST reply actions  

So this guy stumbles horribly into a Minnesota bar...

…wrapped head to toe in tangled duct tape, covered with some foul smelling dirt, and looking a lot like the Mummy with a knife in his back and hundred arrows shot into him, and the bartender says, “Hey, Pharaoh! How’s that old stadium plan of yours coming along?”

by Elgar on Feb 19, 2012 1:14 AM CST reply actions  

Comments For This Post Are Closed


User Tools

DN strives to be the best blog about the Minnesota Vikings on the internet, doing so with a unique blend of insight and analysis, as well as (hopefully) wit and humor. We hope you enjoy the site, and make it your home for Minnesota Vikings info!

FanPosts

Community blog posts and discussion.

Recommended FanPosts

Small
You Can Breathe Slightly Easier
Small
Vikings Roster Analysis: Secondary
Russian_arms_control_small
Season in Review: Chris Cook's Best and Worst performances in 2011
Biggun_small
1st New Vikes Stadium Image

Recent FanPosts

Jg_small
UBVs Special| Trivia! Can you name the Minnesota Vikings Starting QBs?
Small
Roster Analysis: Quarterbacks
Biggun_small
SUCK IT MARTY! - Stadium Passes MPLS 7-6
Imagescaj02y87_small
We get NO RESPECT!
Small
Supplemental Draft and our Safety Situation
Small
Vikings Roster Analysis: Receivers and Tight ends
Grover_small
Purple Kool Aid - Oh Ya!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Photo_10_small
Percy Harvin and the 2012-13 Passing Game

+ New FanPost All FanPosts >


Triangle Of Authority

Dailynorseman_small Christopher Gates

Ted_logo_small Ted Glover

Victory__small Eric J. Thompson

Assistant Coaches

Minnesota-vikings-logo_small MarkSP18

Wiggy_7_small Skol Girl

Headshot_small KJSegall