Vikings Ready to Contribute Additional $30 Million Toward Stadium

The Vikings continue doing everything in their power to make the new stadium a reality. Sid Hartman reports that, during his meeting last week with Mark Dayton and other lawmakers, Zygi Wilf said he would be willing to contribute another $30 million on top of the $407 million the team has already committed as part of the Arden Hills proposal. Under that deal the state’s chunk would be $300 million, but the team wants the state to pony up more cash to help pay for needed road improvements. The state is dead-set against spending a penny more than $300 million.

It’s believed that many legislators favor scrapping the Arden Hills proposal altogether in favor of a cheaper, fixed-roof downtown facility. Zygi Wilf and the Vikings however are bent on having a retractable-roof, multi-purpose venue in Rasmey County.

This my friends is what’s known as a stand-off.

At least the Vikings are showing a willingness to meet the state of Minnesota halfway. Zygi Wilf has already made numerous concessions, including the latest promise of more money toward road improvements. The only thing he refuses to budge on is the location. He wants his big fancy stadium in Arden Hills, with a retractable roof so he can have outdoor football games and, as a bonus, lure an MLS team to Minneapolis.

In the end it seems Zygi will have to give in on something else, and that something may be the retractable roof. Having an open roof on cold days to help with homefield advantage sounds like a good idea, as does the prospect of bringing in an MLS franchise, but is it worth scuttling the whole project over those details? Better to settle for the fixed roof and still get the Arden Hills location with all its other advantages – tailgating! – than end up packing the moving fans and heading for L.A. At least from the Minnesota fans’ perspective.

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