Vikings execs met with NFL officials at the Super Bowl and “came home firmly intent on landing the 2018 Super Bowl for their new stadium, which is to open in 2016 in downtown Minneapolis,” according to Charley Walters of the ST. PAUL PIONEER PRESS. Vikings VP/Public Affairs & Stadium Development Lester Bagley on Tuesday said, "We started to do some homework on our bid." The Vikings “already have applied to the 2018, 2019 or 2020 Super Bowl,” and now they are “pushing hard for 2018.” Competition for the ‘18 Super Bowl is “expected to come from New Orleans because that year will be the city's 300th anniversary.” But Bagley said that the NFL “looks favorably on communities that have resolved stadium issues.” Bagley in New Orleans “spoke with senior NFL officials,” including NFL Exec VP/Business Ventures Eric Grubman. Bagley said, "No one could guarantee it, but they were very encouraging about Minneapolis getting a Super Bowl. We feel good about it, and we feel good about the feedback from the league. We've got to put together a strong bid and a strong host committee." Meanwhile, Walters notes the Vikings, “potentially by Friday, are expected to name a construction manager" for their $975M stadium (ST. PAUL PIONEER PRESS, 2/7).
LET'S GET THIS PARTY STARTED: In Minneapolis, Richard Meryhew notes city officials are “making plans for Season 2 of the great ‘railgating’ experience.” The experiment, pitched by Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak as “an alternative to more traditional tailgating at Vikings home games, was launched in September to encourage fans to get off the couch” and head downtown to “party along a three-block stretch of 5th Street leading to the Metrodome.” Rybak said that the goal is “to ‘add more sizzle’ to pre-game festivities around the Metrodome in anticipation of the opening of a new Vikings stadium on the site in 2016.” Roughly 30 mobile vendors “had licenses to do business in the city when railgating started,” and that number “doubled” by season's end. Minneapolis Licenses & Consumer Services Department District Supervisor Linda Roberts attributes "the interest and positive energy around railgating" for the spike in licenses. Minneapolis Development Chief Chuck Lutz said that city officials will “tweak the concept next season with an aim toward working more with Warehouse District restaurants to ensure they are part of the experience” (Minneapolis STAR TRIBUNE, 2/7).
