Scottsdale-based Hunt Construction and Minneapolis-based Mortenson Construction are "among three firms competing to build the new home" for the Vikings, according to Richard Meryhew of the Minneapolis STAR TRIBUNE. Hunt has built "a dozen NFL stadiums," while Mortenson built Target Field, Target Center, Xcel Energy Center and TCF Bank Stadium. Sweden-based Skanska AB also is "bidding for the contract, which is expected to pay" 2-4% of the stadium's $682M building cost. Vikings VP/Public Affairs & Stadium Development Lester Bagley said, "I think we've got a very solid group. We're confident any one of the three could handle the project and deliver what we're looking for." Minnesota Sports Facilities Authority Chair Michele Kelm-Helgen said that while Mortenson is the "only local firm to submit a bid, it's possible that Hunt and Skanska will pair with smaller, local construction companies to coordinate work." Meryhew notes Hunt has built "two NFL stadiums with retractable roofs" -- Lucas Oil Stadium and Univ. of Phoenix Stadium. The Vikings "hope to break ground on the stadium in October and open it in time for the 2016 NFL season" (Minneapolis STAR TRIBUNE, 1/22). The MSFA will "interview the three companies later this week." Kelm-Helgen said that the authority "will weigh price, experience building sports venues and local participation" (TWINCITIES.com, 1/21).
ENHANCING THE MOBILE EXPERIENCE: 49ers CEO Jed York yesterday during an appearance on CBS Sports Radio's "The Jim Rome Show" discussed his attempts to eliminate hardware from the fan experience at the team's new Santa Clara stadium when it opens in '14. York said, "I don’t know that you’re going to eliminate it, but you don’t want it to be your focal point. I’m sure you have a smart phone, I’m sure you have a tablet, and when you go to a game sometimes it’s hard to just send a text message or an e-mail (or search the Internet). … So you want to make sure that your phone connects you to the game in a way that is better than your home experience. When you look at the great tech companies that are in Silicon Valley, I don’t want to compete with those guys in hardware. I want to make sure that if their hardware works in our stadium beyond all other capabilities and that we give you more in our 68,000-seat stadium than you can get anywhere else. So you can connect to the game, you can connect to any other game and you just make it less of a hassle going to a sport event” (“The Jim Rome Show,” CBS Sports Radio, 1/21).
