After weeks of "intensive closed-door negotiations," Minnesota Gov. Mark Dayton announced a Vikings stadium deal Thursday that "must still face its biggest hurdles -- a skeptical Legislature and a reluctant Minneapolis City Council," according to Duchschere & Stassen-Berger of the Minneapolis STAR TRIBUNE. A $975M stadium on the Metrodome site "could open as early as" the '16 season, but only if Dayton and other backers can "persuade legislators to vote for" a $398M state subsidy and "get council members to agree to the diversion" of $150M in hospitality taxes without going to a referendum. Despite the "hard lobbying task ahead," Vikings Owner Zygi Wilf said that "Thursday was a day he had looked forward to for the entire seven years he's owned the team." Duchschere & Stassen-Berger note the state "plans to issue bonds for its share of stadium costs and pay them off with gambling profits from electronic pulltabs." The new plan allows for a 65,000-seat, fixed-roof stadium, "half on the Dome's footprint and half in its east parking lot." It includes a "large plaza on the downtown side of the Dome, a new parking ramp connected to the stadium by skyway and a city block dedicated to tailgating on game days." Team President Mark Wilf said the Dome site was "the most cost-efficient stadium alternative." Under the new agreement, the Vikings would kick in $427M -- "roughly the amount the team pledged to the Arden Hills project." The team's contribution would cover 44% of the construction, with state and city funding making up the remaining 56% of the $975M in upfront costs. Of the $1.5B "long-range cost of construction, maintenance and debt service, the Vikings' share would be" $754.1M -- a little more than half the total. The city would pay long-range costs of $338M, nearly 23%. The state's contribution "is capped at" $398M in upfront costs. The stadium would be "run by a new stadium authority, with three members appointed by the governor and two by Minneapolis." The Vikings would "keep all revenue from NFL events, including concessions and club seat and suite revenue." It also would get the money "from naming rights and advertising on the stadium site" (Minneapolis STAR TRIBUNE, 3/2).
NOT AN EASY SELL: In St. Paul, Doug Belden notes "by all indications Thursday at the state Capitol, it won't be easy" for supporters to sell the deal to lawmakers. Dayton "wants a vote on the stadium this session." Senate Majority Leader Dave Senjem said that "while he shares the governor's desire for a vote this session, he can't guarantee the bill will make it through committees to the floor for a vote." Work on a bill based on the new agreement was set to begin Friday morning, and the governor's office said that it is "expected to be introduced Monday." Zygi and Mark Wilf "declined to elaborate Thursday on where" the Vikings' $427M would come from, saying simply that it "would be from private sources." Those are "thought to include a loan from the NFL, stadium naming rights and perhaps personal seat licenses, should the team decide to sell those" (ST. PAUL PIONEER PRESS, 3/2).
WORK LEFT TO DO: Ramsey County Commissioner Tony Bennett said that the Vikings stadium package unveiled by the governor's office Thursday "was a disappointing slap in the face to the east metro." In St. Paul, Frederick Melo notes the $1.1B Arden Hills proposal "never won the full support of the governor's office or made it past key lawmakers." Arden Hills Mayor Dave Grant said, "I think there are a number of things that still need to happen for the Minneapolis proposal." St. Paul Mayor Chris Coleman "continued to express concern that funding for the stadium is tied to money for renovations at Target Center in downtown Minneapolis." The arena is home to the T'Wolves and WNBA Lynx, and "competes directly with St. Paul's Xcel Energy Center for concert bookings" (ST. PAUL PIONEER PRESS, 3/2).
TWISTING ARMS: The ST. PAUL PIONEER PRESS' Bob Sansevere writes, "If you appreciate a good arm twisting and not-so-subtle pressure, you've got to love how the Vikings' owners and some high-level politicians are handling the latest stadium proposal." Sansevere: "Kudos to whoever crafted the talking points. All the financing details haven't been disclosed, but the types of pressure to be administered have been, and that should be enough" (ST. PAUL PIONEER PRESS, 3/2).
