With the Vikings stadium project finally picking up some steam and the folks in Ramsey County reportedly “very, very close” to striking a deal to host the new football house, the folks in Minneapolis aren’t ready to concede anything.
Mike Kaszuba of the Minneapolis Star Tribune reports that the place the Metrodome calls home will announce today a proposal that includes 25 percent of the cost of the venue coming from the city’s coffers.
Assuming that Minneapolis has room to move (especially since it’s now competing with Ramsey County), and with the Vikings reportedly ready to kick in 40 percent of the cost and possibly more, the state’s contribution eventually could fall under 30 percent, possibly dropping at some point (and we’re just guessing here) to as low as 20 percent.
Thus, even though veteran Minnesota columnist Sid Hartman is pessimistic about a deal being finished in 2011, we’re not ready to write this one off. It all comes down to dollars; as the Vikings and the local host of the stadium kick in more, the state’s burden will drop, making the project far more attractive to the Legislature.
There’s simply too much to lose by waiting for one more year. Come 2012, the Vikings’ lease will have expired, and the entire franchise will be a free agent. At that point, Minnesota could be competing with the likes of Los Angeles to put together a package that entails the Vikings paying less. Why not get it done at a time when the Vikings are willing to pay more?
