Minnesota Governor Mark Dayton sent letters to the Ramsey County folks behind the Arden Hills stadium site as well as leaders in Minneapolis saying that any proposals for a new Minnesota Vikings stadium need to be submitted by 12 January in order to be considered for the upcoming legislative session, which kicks off on 24 January. That means that any proposals need to be in one week from today.
You know, if you were planning on getting in on this whole thing.
According to the letters that Dayton sent out, the proposals need to include "as much detailed information as possible about your proposed means to finance the local share of the project," as well as "reasons you feel your site to be superior."
The Vikings' lease with the Metrodome expires on 1 February, a week after the start of the regular legislative session, and the team insists they are not signing any sort of extension or additional lease without the assurance that a new stadium project is underway.
In addition to the Arden Hills site in Ramsey County, the other sites in play are near the Basilica of St. Mary, the Farmer's Market district, and the current Metrodome site, although nobody has really clearly expressed what the Vikings are expected to do if the current Metrodome site is the one that's chosen. You know, outside of "play at TCF Bank Stadium, which will be an ice rink a couple of times a year due to lack of heating coils under the field, and lose a ton of money because the stadium seats 10,000 fewer people (which will also tick off your season ticket holders) and you're not allowed to sell alcohol since it's on a college campus but that's okay because, really, screw you guys."