In Minneapolis, Rochelle Olson notes Arden Hills development officials “have raised concerns about several points in a proposed $1 billion deal for a Minnesota Vikings stadium” in the city, but Arden Hills Mayor David Grant said that he “doesn't believe there are any insurmountable problems.” Arden Hills officials “raised several concerns in a March 21 letter to the Ramsey County manager.” Arden Hills City Administrator Patrick Klaers and Community Development Dir Jill Hutmacher on Wednesday “presented the Arden Hills City Council with a five-page analysis of Ramsey County's stadium agreement with the Vikings.” Klaers and Hutmacher “analyzed whether those concerns had been answered in the evolving deal between the county and the team.” The pair “didn't take a position on the development, but emphasized in an interview Thursday that the city has had a goal of redeveloping the site for decades -- and that remains” (Minneapolis STAR TRIBUNE, 6/3).
GRASS IS ALWAYS GREENER: In Detroit, Tim Twentyman notes for the "first time in the nearly nine-year history of Ford Field, natural grass will be installed" for Tuesday's U.S.-Canada and Panama-Guadeloupe CONCACAF Gold Cup doubleheader. Ford Field officials will “start by installing 200,000 square feet of a geo textile (felt-like) material over the artificial playing surface.” Then, 100,000 square feet of “bluegrass -- arriving in 35-foot by 4-foot rolls -- will be laid.” The process “will take 20-25 hours, and should be completed by early Sunday afternoon” (DETROIT NEWS, 6/3).
INVOICE DUE: In Jacksonville, Steve Patterson reports city and Jaguars officials are “trying to settle more than $500,000 in stadium bills that are up to three years old” before Jacksonville changes mayors. The Jaguars and the city “have disagreed since 2008 about who was responsible for several expenses, including scoreboard operations and some cleaning crews and trash removal.” Jaguars Senior VP/Stadium Operations & CFO Bill Prescott on Thursday said, “They haven't paid us, (and) we haven't paid them for some of their invoices." He added that “because a number of bills could offset each other ... resolving all the issues might not be very costly” (FLORIDA TIMES-UNION, 6/3).
