The Vikings will christen a new stadium later this year. They no longer want to rechristen one of the streets abutting the property.
Via Kristen Leigh Painter of the Minneapolis Star Tribune, the Vikings have withdrawn their request to rename Chicago Avenue after experiencing unexpectedly strong resistance from the powers-that-be in Minneapolis.
“We were taken aback by the negative reaction at the city,” Vikings executive V.P. of public affairs/stadium development Lester Bagley told Painter. “Frankly, I’m just not sure we have the stomach for the tenor that exists down there [at City Hall] on this particular matter.”
Bagley added that changing the name of Chicago Avenue has alway been part of the broader plan for stadium construction, but that the issue first became contentious in recent days. Bagley pointed out that the request was “identical” to one the Twins previously made, which resulted in a changing of the name of a street near Target Field to “Twins Way.”