For more than 45 years the Vikings
have been a part of the Minnesota sports scene playing first at
Metropolitan Stadium and now at the Metrodome. Throughout their
history the Vikings have never had a stadium of their own, sharing
both stadiums with baseball's Minnesota Twins. Today the Vikings
are just one of three teams that share a stadium with a
professional baseball team. Since 2000 the team has tried to
obtain support from the State of Minnesota to secure funding to
construct a new stadium to replace the Metrodome. The team has one
of the worst leases in the NFL and the Vikings see a new stadium
producing additional revenues that would bolster the team. Every
year the Vikings have tried to secure funding for a new stadium
but have failed.
In May 2006, the
Vikings were left out of legislation that provided funding for
stadiums for
the Minnesota Twins and the University of Minnesota.
It appeared that the Vikings had reached an agreement to have
a new stadium built when the team announced that they had reached
an agreement with Anoka County to build a new stadium in
September 2005. The team and county had announced plans to build a
stadium as part of a new development project in Blaine, MN. Plans
called for a $675 million, 68,000 retractable roof stadium. The
stadium would have been built as part of retail shops, office
buildings, natural preservers and private residences. Unlike the
Vikings current home, the Metrodome, the new facility would have had 8,000
club seats and 150 luxury suites. Additional features of the
stadium complex would have included on site parking, a Vikings
Hall of Fame, merchandise store and a Vikings themed restaurant. The stadium complex
would have been publicly owned
by a future stadium authority and the Vikings would have operated it.
However, in November
2006 the Vikings and Anoka County parted ways and the team
officially announced there preference for a new stadium in
downtown Minneapolis. The Metropolitan Sports Facilities
Commission has now hired an urban planner to conduct a
revitalization study of the east side of downtown Minneapolis. In
April 2007, the Vikings proposed that a new retractable roof
stadium be constructed on the site of their current home, the
Metrodome. Furthermore the team has began buying land surrounding
the Metrodome. The proposed downtown stadium would feature a
retractable roof and removable glass windows to the west that
would allow for views of the downtown skyline. The main seating
tiers would be on both sides of the field allowing fans views that
cannot be found at the Metrodome. At a cost of nearly $1 billion
the stadium would seat nearly 70,000 fans and could open in 2012.
The construction of this facility is contingent on funding from
the Minnesota State Legislature. Both the Vikings and the
Minnesota Sports Commission hope to get the State Legislature to
approve this project. In July 2008 the Metropolitan Sports
Facilities Commission unveile
d concepts plans for a $853 million
retractable roof stadium for the Vikings. It would be built on the
same site as the Metrodome and reuse the stadium foundation and a
small part of the seating bowl. By doing this it would save an
estimated $100 million. The stadium would have more seats, wider
concourses and more luxury seats. State officials have said they
would not support public financing for a new stadium.
The Vikings 30 year lease at
the Metrodome runs out after the 2011 lease. However, the team has publicly
stated that they will not play at the Metrodome past 2011. In December 2009,
the Metropolitan Sports Facilities Commission unveiled plans, dubbed
Metrodome Next, to be built on the same site of the
Vikings current home. This
proposal would seat 65,000 fans, 7,500 club seats and 148 luxury suites. It
would feature a retractable roof, with the covering similar to the fabric
used at the Metrodome. The roof would be held up with cables rather than
air. A trapezoidal-shaped transparent roof would slide off the top and down
onto the side of the building when the weather was nice enough to go
open-air. Massive windows would allow fans views of the downtown Minneapolis
skyline. Under this proposal, the Metrodome would be demolished after the
2010 season. The Vikings would play the next two seasons at TCF Bank
Stadium, home of the Golden Gophers (NCAA). Vikings officials have not
endorsed this plan, keeping their options open to other sites. The
Metropolitan Sports Facilities Commission hopes to push a stadium bill into
the state's legislative session in 2010. Little progress has been made
throughout 2010 in the Vikings quest to build a new stadium. This is likely
to change in 2011. In December 2010, the Metrodome's roof collapsed to due a
massive snowstorm in Minneapolis. The roof collapse forced the Vikings to
play one home game in Detroit and another at TCF Bank Stadium. Minnesota
Legislature is likely to debate the stadium issue during the opening weeks
of the 2011 Legislature.
