Odds Are "50-50" New Vikings Stadium Will Get Retractable Roof

Vikings VP/Public Affairs & Stadium Development Lester Bagley last week said that the "most important decision the Minnesota Vikings have to make about their new stadium could be selecting the architect," according to Charley Walters of the ST. PAUL PIONEER PRESS. The team is "expected to do that within the next two weeks." Bagley said that odds "are 50-50 that the Vikings' $975 million stadium scheduled to open in 2016 will have a retractable roof." He said, "We're definitely analyzing a retractable feature, but maybe it makes more sense in our market to have a window or a wall with doors that open." Bagley said the odds of the stadium having a retractable roof "are steeper, just because of the snow-load issue." But he cautioned that it's "'premature' to analyze a retractable feature until an architect and construction manager is hired." Bagley: "It's got to fit in the $975 million budget" (ST. PAUL PIONEER PRESS, 9/21).

STARTING SOMETHING NEW: In Minneapolis, Curt Brown notes yesterday "began the new era in Minnesota Vikings pre-game cuisine dubbed railgating." Thirteen food trucks "lined up side-by-side along the light-rail tracks near the Metrodome on Sunday morning." It is the "first of a series of steps" that Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak "hopes will enhance the buzz "around the new $975M stadium project. Rybak "acknowledged concerns from bar and restaurant owners, not to mention Vikings concessionaires, who might suffer from the food truck competition." More than 20 trucks are "signed up for the next Vikings home game Oct. 7 against Tennessee, which starts at 3:30 p.m. and has food truck operators salivating at the notion of more sales." The city "waived fees to encourage the food trucks to join the railgating debut, but they all had to pack up after kickoff." Attendees "all were smiling and police reported no public safety issues" (Minneapolis STAR TRIBUNE, 9/24).