Vikings Hire Icon Venue Group As Owner's Rep For New $975M Stadium

The Vikings have hired Denver-based Icon Venue Group as their owner’s representative for the new $975M NFL stadium to be built in downtown Minneapolis, according to the architectural and engineering services proposal posted online yesterday by the Minnesota Sports Facilities Authority. Icon will work with the Vikings’ internal development group headed by real estate firm Garden Homes Development Project Exec Don Baker. Vikings Owner the Wilf family also owns Garden Homes Development. Jim Cima, who the Vikings recently hired as senior project manager, also is part of the group. Icon has served in a similar role for Farmers Field, the $1B NFL stadium proposed for downtown L.A. Icon is co-owned by AEG, the developer of Farmers Field. In addition, Icon President & CEO Tim Romani was Exec Dir of the Metropolitan Football Stadium District in Denver at the time Sports Authority Field at Mile High was in development. The RFP lists Sept. 14 as the deadline to select an architect.