In Minneapolis, Rachel Stassen-Berger noted Gov. Mark Dayton “will lead a rally at the Capitol on Tuesday" for the proposed downtown Vikings stadium, and supporters will “launch an all-out blitz to push the $975 million project over the goal line in the coming weeks.” Minneapolis Regional Chamber of Commerce President Todd Klingel said, "We need to get some people to yes.” There are just about “two months left in this year's legislative session, and there's a lot of work to do.” Already, a bill that backers had hoped to introduce today “will not be ready by then and was being worked on throughout the weekend.” State Senate Majority Leader Dave Senjem noted that "any committee could, frankly, take the bill down" (STARTRIBUNE.com, 3/4).
LAND USE: In DC, Mike DeBonis wrote Mayor Vincent Gray and DC Council member Jack Evans “have their eyes on possibly putting a Washington Redskins headquarters and training facility on city-controlled land just south of RFK Stadium.” The debate for the future “falls along these lines: Is using the land for a Redskins facility a waste of one of the city’s largest and most desirable parcels?” Or is a Redskins facility “one way of catalyzing development in an area that has seen big plans drawn up but not the wherewithal to turn them into reality?” As to how much redevelopment the city will “need to forgo to lure the Redskins,” the “magic number appears to be 33 acres” (WASHINGTON POST, 3/2).
SHOW ME THE MONEY: In Green Bay, Richard Ryman noted the sales tax distribution to the Green Bay/Brown County Professional Football Stadium District for February “was $2.23 million, bringing the year-to-date distribution to $3.6 million, or less than 1 percent less than last year after two months.” The stadium district “received the proceeds of a 0.5 percent sales tax in Brown County” (GREEN BAY PRESS-GAZETTE, 3/3).
