The Minnesota Sports Facilities Authority on Thursday began selling bricks -- or pavers -- for the new Vikings stadium that will cost bewteen $160 and $360 and "be installed in front of the big pivoting glass doors near the west plaza," according to Nick Halter of the MINNEAPOLIS/ST. PAUL BUSINESS JOURNAL. A four-by-eight-inch paver, with three lines of text, sells for $160, while an eight-by-eight-inch paver with six lines sells for $295. A "Vikings Norseman logo on the big brick" costs an additional $65. Vikings Communications Dir Jeff Anderson said that there is "room for roughly 12,000 bricks, depending on the size of bricks people buy" (BIZJOURNALS.com, 3/26). In St. Paul, Doug Belden reported each purchase of a paver "comes with a free replica and certificate of ownership." Additional replicas and special display cases "are available for purchase." Upon installation, brick owners "will get a locator map to find their spot." The brick sale is sponsored by the MSFA, with net proceeds "helping to enhance the stadium's three-acre public plaza" (TWINCITIES.com, 3/26).
THE MONEY PIT: The Minneapolis STAR TRIBUNE reports the Vikings "will contribute an additional" $19.5M to the team’s new stadium. The money "will be directed, among other things, toward plaza enhancements, food service equipment, seat upgrades and a deck that looks out toward Minneapolis." The contribution "will be revealed" at Friday’s MSFA meeting. The team’s "private contributions since the stadium legislation passed" have been nearly $74M, for a total team contribution of $551M of the stadium’s cost of $1.061B (Minneapolis STAR TRIBUNE, 3/27).
