Minnesota Department of Transportation and Ramsey County transportation officials yesterday agreed that it would cost $131M to "improve roads and highways to accommodate the proposed" $1.1B Vikings stadium in the county, according to Dave Orrick of the ST. PAUL PIONEER PRESS. The figure is less than the $175-240M Minnesota Transportation Commissioner Tom Sorel initially said "was needed, but it still represents an obstacle." Under the agreement between Ramsey County and the Vikings, road improvements "would be in addition" to the state's $300M commitment to a new stadium. But Minnesota state Sen. Julie Rosen, who along with state Rep. Morrie Lanning have "taken the lead at the Legislature on the stadium," said that the $131M transportation tab "would have to be part of the state's share, a condition consistent with statements" Gov. Mark Dayton has made. Orrick notes with the likelihood of an agreement on the state budget before Monday's adjournment of the legislative session "growing more remote each day, the stadium bill would seem to be destined for a special session of the Legislature." But neither Rosen nor Ramsey County Commissioner Tony Bennett, "one of the champions of the plan," would "concede that likelihood" (ST. PAUL PIONEER PRESS, 5/19). In Minneapolis, Olson & Duchschere note the $131M estimate "doesn't include $20 million in Interstate 35W improvements that were already in the works" (Minneapolis STAR TRIBUNE, 5/19).
STANDING TO BENEFIT: In Minneapolis, Mike Kaszuba reports the Ramsey County stadium proposal gives the Vikings "more benefits than the Twins received" from the agreement to build Target Field. The Vikings under the proposal "would get the first $41 million of any project savings for the 65,000-seat stadium in Arden Hills." Target Field "had no such provision." The Vikings also "would not have to make their financial statements available to a public board that would own the facility," though the Twins "were required to do so." The Vikings stadium "would require an annual $1.5 million public operating subsidy from the county," but Target Field "does not." Kaszuba writes the differences "may become important in coming days" as Dayton "ramps up his message that the Vikings have too much control in the deal they now want the state to help subsidize" (Minneapolis STAR TRIBUNE, 5/19).
