Stadium thread

[APeterson28]

http://www.1500espn.com/sportswire/Viki ... sion081011

MANKATO, Minn. -- Eighteen politicians and business leaders from Ramsey County attended the Minnesota Vikings' practice on Wednesday morning, then heard from team and county officials who said they're close to an agreement to bring their more than $1 billion stadium project before the state Legislature in a fall special session.

"We have been prepared to come forward with an agreement -- pretty much all done," Vikings owner Zygi Wilf said. "Lot of hard work was put into it. Lot of hard work still to be put into it. But we feel we have the agreement and most of the details worked out."

The team and Ramsey County officials held a media conference in May to announce their partnership on a stadium to be built on the site of an abandoned munitions plant in Arden Hills. But the plan has yet to make it before the Legislature, which would have to approve a proposed $300 million contribution from the state.

"There's no doubt we're disappointed that we weren't able to be part of the special session (last month) on the budget," said Lester Bagley, the Vikings' vice president of public affairs and stadium development.

"We understand. We appreciate the priorities and the significant issue of the state budget. But the Wilfs and the Vikings have been patient. We waited behind the Twins. We waited this year in the shadow of the budget. We've got to get it done."

The team could have walked away from its partnership with Ramsey County on July 1, but the sides have "verbally" extended the agreement, Bagley said. The hope now is to finalize an agreement by next month and gain the approval of Gov. Mark Dayton, whom the team hopes will call another special session in October.

The Wilfs met with Dayton last week and "realized that many of the details that we were negotiating in the past, and questions that were asked in the past, were answered," Zygi Wilf said. "We still have a few questions to be answered, but we're very optimistic we had all the pieces in place and we'll be able to achieve bipartisan support to move this forward."

Bagley said road upgrades around the proposed stadium site -- initially estimated to cost as much as $240 million -- have come down into the $100 million range and said the team is "fine-tuning" a deal for which the framework is in place.

Those in support of the agreement continue to emphasize the project would create thousands of jobs, including 7,500 construction jobs at a time there is a high rate of unemployment in that industry.

"We're so close, folks," Ramsey County commissioner Tony Bennett said. "It would be a shame not to put those people to work. It would be a shame not to clean up this polluted site and make it usable. It would be a shame not to have the Vikings here next year but one of these days we've got to have a team that's going to start to win."

The Vikings' lease at the Metrodome expires on Feb. 1. If the stadium issue isn't addressed by then, Bagley pointed out, they'd be the only team in the NFL without a lease.

That's notable in part because the Los Angeles City Council on Tuesday approved the framework for financing a $1.2 billion stadium project in that city, where the NFL has made clear it hopes to place at least one team in the near future.

"I don't know anything about that," Zygi Wilf said, "but we're always focused on making sure that Arden Hills is going to be our home. We're excited about the opportunity for our fans and for the state."

I am hoping for it will be approved in the special session but I am not holding my breath

[APeterson28]

300 million, that is much less than they lost in revenue during the shutdown. But with the "receive no money spend no money" legislature will they vote for it?

I do have to it admit this looks somewhat positive.

I bet they will reject it and the Vikings will move

[Vikingsfan4321]

Very rarely does something of this magnitude get brought to a vote without test votes to make sure it will pass. If this gets to a vote and doesn't pass it will be one of the biggest embarrassments in politics for messing up in such a basic issue as a vote. You can rest easy that if this gets a called to a vote it will have about a 95-98 % passage chance.

[APeterson28]

Come on... why bust my baloon? What did I ever do to you?

Haha nothing but I just do not have any faith that it will pass

[PurpleMustReign]

Very rarely does something of this magnitude get brought to a vote without test votes to make sure it will pass. If this gets to a vote and doesn't pass it will be one of the biggest embarrassments in politics for messing up in such a basic issue as a vote. You can rest easy that if this gets a called to a vote it will have about a 95-98 % passage chance.

If you are right, I will kiss you on the lips...

[PsyDanny]

If you are right, I will kiss you on the lips...

Finally, you might have the excuse you've been looking for....

[CCthebest]

Very rarely does something of this magnitude get brought to a vote without test votes to make sure it will pass. If this gets to a vote and doesn't pass it will be one of the biggest embarrassments in politics for messing up in such a basic issue as a vote. You can rest easy that if this gets a called to a vote it will have about a 95-98 % passage chance.

What are you basing this on? Its pure specculation.

[purple guy]

What are you basing this on? Its pure specculation.

Common sense. IF a special session is called, it will pass. If a special session isnt called, the Vikings will be in LA, IMO. They wont call a special session to vote a proposal down, they'll take a straw poll before wasting time. If a special session is called in Oct, thats a good thing IMO, the Vikes will get a new home. If a special session isnt held in Oct, wave bye bye, they are gone IMO....

[dead_poet]

'We are so close'; Ramsey County group and Vikings' stadium push renewed

http://www.kare11.com/news/article/9338 ... e-so-close

[J. Kapp 11]

Love Leslie Frazier's comment ...

Commissioner [Tony] Bennett had the chance to shake Coach Leslie Frazier's hand after practice, and jokingly asked him if he could borrow some linemen to bring to the Governor's office. "If that's what we have to do Tony, we'll send Jared Allen, Kevin (Williams), and Steve Hutchinson," Coach replied.

[glg]

Love Leslie Frazier's comment ...

Well, minus KWill, plus Longwell, that's what it took to convince Gramps last year...

[dead_poet]

Vikings stadium: Fall session in doubt

Last week, Minnesota Vikings owner Zygi Wilf continued to express optimism that his latest stadium proposal will be approved during a special fall session of the Minnesota state legislature.

One of his most ardent legislative supporters isn't so sure.

In a story published Sunday in the Star Tribune, state Rep. Morrie Lanning said a special session remains "a possibility" but added: "It's not the likely scenario." Lanning, one of two chief authors of a bill to authorize the $1.057 billion project, said he has "prepared the Vikings for the possibility" that legislators won't consider the bill until January 2012.

The Vikings' lease at the Metrodome expires on Feb. 1, 2012.

As we discussed last week, the bill will no doubt face some opposition from ardent legislators who just backed down Gov. Mark Dayton from raising any taxes in his state budget. The last financing plan we saw called for $650 million in public money, generated by user fees and a half-cent rise in Ramsey County's sales tax. Lanning said he doesn't see the point of a special session unless there is a "reasonable expectation" that the bill will pass.

There also appears to be a difference of opinion on the extent of pre-construction environmental work necessary on the site in Arden Hills, Minn., where the U.S. Army once operated a munitions factory. Ted Mondale, Dayton's stadium point man who is conducting a fast-track review of the proposal, told the Star Tribune that a lengthy Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) should be conducted.

Historically, similar studies have taken a year or more to complete.

The Vikings are pushing Dayton to call a special session for several reasons, including the fact that the issue wouldn't get buried by other state business. Without a special session, the Vikings will technically become franchise free agents. They have said they won't sign an extension of their Metrodome lease until a new stadium is approved, setting up a potential showdown next winter if no special session is called.

http://espn.go.com/blog/nfcnorth/post/_ ... n-in-doubt

[9man]

http://www.1500espn.com/sportswire/Grow ... gins082911

"But now we're down to the end of the lease, and if we don't get it done this fall, we get to February (and) we will be the only NFL team without a lease," Bagley said. "The only one. There's already been knocks on the door about, 'Hey, we want to talk to you guys when your lease is up.'"

"They went and got a great site and a great local partner, a significant local contribution, and they put the third-largest private stadium contribution on the table after the Jets-Giants stadium and after the Cowboys. What the Wilfs have offered -- $400-plus million up front and $20 million a year (in Arden Hills) -- is the third-largest private offer in NFL history."

[hibbingviking]

it will be the chargers or vikings going to LA. hopefully the chargers.

[PurpleMustReign]

The absolute ignorance of some of the people of this state (I mean the citizens) completely astounds me. http://www.startribune.com/politics/blo ... 94758.html


Some of the comments on the bottom just show how little people know about investing. The amount of money the state stands to make by building a stadium would completely blow these morons away. It is too bad that if a stadium was built everyone would benefit rather then just the supporters.