Vikings stadium madness: Minneapolis back on drawing board
Two bits of WTF stand out after yesterday's meeting between NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell and all the parties involved in trying to find the Vikings a new home.
Sen. Julie Rosen has some buyer's remorse.
The first is that, whatever the final dollar amount the NFL decides to kick in to support construction, the money will go to the Wilf brothers. It won't go towards offsetting the sales tax hike coming to Ramsey County, or to ease the burden on the state, which is going to have to pay for a massive roadway overhaul around the Arden Hills site favored by the team.
Maybe this standard operating procedure for NFL big shots, but the optics are tone deaf in a state whose residents are already heavily opposed to subsidizing Schloss Wilf.
Which brings us to WTF, Part II.
State Sen. Julie Rosen, who introduced the original stadium bill that set guidelines for how to close a deal, appears ready to throw a monkey wrench into the works after lining up behind the Arden Hills site plan, the Pioneer Press reports. She's now considering two pieces of legislation:
- One would amend her current bill to reflect the $1.1 billion Arden Hills stadium, which is hung up on how much road work is needed to accommodate it and who will pay for that road work.
- The second option would be to introduce two bills, one for Arden Hills and another for a $1 billion plan that includes building a stadium in downtown Minneapolis.
What? Yep.
"I like the idea of a retrofit of the Dome," Rosen said. "It would be reusing an existing site. It's conservative, and Minnesotans can wrap their arms around it. And it doesn't have the transportation issues."
Maybe she's onto something, of course. It's becoming clear that Ramsey County lawmakers in the Legislature hate the Arden Hills plan. But still, the Wilfs looked at Minneapolis and Arden Hills and picked the latter. Goodell's on board with them. And now, with the Legislature prepping its 2-minute drill, Rosen likes the idea of moving the goal posts. Amazing.
Previously:
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