Credit: Vikings.com

It’s been awhile since the Vikings stadium bill passed through the Minnesota state government.  Now, the Vikings and stadium council are busy designing what the stadium will look like.

Below are highlights from Lester Bagley’s conversation with the Pioneer Press:

• Stadium team: legal team (national and local legal expertise), project manager to run construction/design, and owners’ representative
• Fixed or retractable roof? — stay tuned

“It’s a fixed-roof facility, but if we can cut costs, manage costs, our goal is to have a retractable feature (such as a portion of the roof that can be opened to view downtown). Some retractable feature, we think, is important. That’s the one thing we’re working on.” – Lester Bagley

• No training facility on site » Continue reading “Latest On Vikings Stadium Planning”

Credit: Official White House Photo by Pete Souza

President Obama was in Golden Valley, Minnesota today giving a speech on veteran jobs today.  Although, Obama is a noted Chicago Bears fan, he is happy to see the Vikings staying in Minnesota:

It is good to be back in Minnesota.    It is good to see your Governor, Mark Dayton, here.   On the way over we were talking about making sure the Vikings were staying.   Now, that’s a hard thing for a Bears fan to do.  But I was rooting for the Vikings sticking around here — and the Governor did a great job.  You were praying, too, huh?  Absolutely.  Prayer never hurts.  It helps.

Couldn’t have said it better myself, President Obama..It is great to see the Vikings remaining in Minnesota!

Credit: Minnesota Vikings

On Friday, the Minneapolis City Council officially approved the Minnesota Vikings stadium plan by a vote of 7-6.

“I want to thank the seven members of the Minneapolis City Council who voted to approve the People’s Stadium,” said Gov. Mark Dayton in a statement.  ”Their vote is a testament to Mayor RT Rybak and Council President Barb Johnson who have shown the vision and courage to lead Minneapolis in putting together a stadium plan that is best for Minneapolis and Minnesota.”

According to the bill, the city of Minneapolis will provide 15% of the total cost of the stadium, which is an estimated $150 million.

Finally. the fun will begin with the planning of what the actual stadium will look like.  The state will create a Stadium Authority, which will include three members appointed by Gov. Dayton and two by Minneapolis Mayor Mark Dayton.  Alongside the Stadium Authority, the Vikings will then begin working on the design of the stadium and hiring an architect.  According to the Vikings, this process will take roughly 10-12 months and the ground-breaking taking place next spring or summer.

The new stadium, which will be located next to the current Metrodome, is set to open for the 2016 season.

Credit: Vikings

After passing through both the Minnesota House and Senate and receiving Gov. Dayton’s signature, the new Minnesota Vikings stadium bill will receive one final vote on Friday.  On Monday, the Minneapolis City Council will have one final hearing  before voting at the end of the week, according to KSTP.  Mayor R.T. Rybak has voiced there are enough votes for the bill to pass and become complete.

According to Minnesota Public Radio,

The city is required by the state constitution to ratify the stadium plan. The deal depends on a shift of sales and hospitality taxes to pay for stadium debt, after the taxes pay off the city’s Convention Center bonds in 2020. That money is expected to pay off the $150 million the city has pledged up front to the project, as well as debt for the Target Center, now footed by property taxpayers.

In an interview with the Star Tribune’s Sid Hartman, City Council member Meg Tuthill “believes that the vote will remain 7-6, matching an earlier vote on a resolution to support the stadium in April, and that the stadium bill will pass the council Friday.”

“I think that the seven votes are strong,” Tuthill said. “I haven’t seen any wavering. I haven’t seen anyone questioning anything that has come down the pike in conversation or comments in the last week, so I think we’re in good shape.”

On Friday, the issue of “Will the Vikings receive a new stadium?” will become complete with a likely approval of a new stadium.

Governor Dayton with Vikings owner Zygi Wilf in the background

May 14, 2012 will forever be the day the Minnesota Governor signs off on the long-waited Vikings’ stadium bill.

According to KSTP-TV’s Tom Hauser, Governor Dayton will sign the Vikings stadium bill into a law on Monday around 12:00 pm C.T.

Dayton has long supported the Vikings’ stadium bid and after years of disappoint, it will become a reality on Monday.

When Dayton signs the bill during a ceremony at the capitol, he will be joined by the Vikings owners (the Wilfs), bill authors and leaders from the labor and business community.

The last step after the bill becomes a law will be a final vote from the Minneapolis City Council, which has been stated that they have the votes to pass it.