A viable possibility for the construction of a new Vikings stadium in place other than Los Angeles resides in Ramsey County, Minnesota, at the site of an abandoned army ammunition plant.
One potential problem (apart from the lingering unwillingness and/or inability of the powers-that-be to cough up enough public money to pay for a big chunk of the venue) arises from the discomfort of the Vikings’ potential new neighbors.
According to Sarah Horner of the St. Paul Pioneer Press (via SportsBusiness Daily), the Ramsey County Board of Commissioners are expected to begin negotiating the development of a stadium on the site. But the folks who live in Arden Hills are skittish, to say the least.
Dave McClung, a former city council member, believes that a stadium doesn’t fit the long-term vision for the long-dormant land. “That never involved a huge stadium with a lot of blacktop,” McClung said. “To throw 20 years worth of planning out the window because suddenly Zygi Wilf and the Vikings want to plop a stadium there is ridiculous. Sorry, that just doesn’t work for me.”
Resident also reportedly are concerned about traffic. And a 300-unit mobile home park likely would be relocated once property values in the vicinity of the stadium spike.
“They need to be on board, and I think they will be,” Ramsey County Commissioner Tony Bennett said. “The city wants something they can live with that will spur development. This is their chance to do that and get rid of a piece of property that has become quite an eyesore.”
The question becomes whether it’s better to have an eyesore than attracts no traffic or attention, or whether it’s better to have a large venue that spurs development and commercializes the area to the point where some folks will feel compelled to get what they can for their property and move.
In the end, those who choose to sell and relocate could come out well ahead of the game financially. For some, though, it’s possibly not about money but about living where they want to live.
Either way, the far bigger hurdle is coming up with the cash to build the place. Once the money is taken care of, they’ll find a spot for it -- and it’s inevitable that not everyone will be happy.
A lot more people will be unhappy if the new neighbors for the Vikings are the pro basketball team that once fled Minnesota.
