Roy Terwilliger, chair of the Metropolitan Sports Facilities Commission, told Sports Headliners yesterday he hopes state legislation can be approved in 2008 to build a new Vikings stadium on the Metrodome site. “I know it would be hoping for too much for this year,” he said. “We’re going over the latter part of this week to the Senate Tax Committee and a week or two later we’ll go to the House Tax Committee. I think that will get them starting the discussion but I would guess the 2008 session is when action should really be taken and if that happens then it can stay on track so you can have a facility in place for the 2012 Viking season.”
Sticker shock hit some Minnesotans last week when the commission (its mission is to retain professional sports in this community) and the Vikings announced a near $1 billion price tag for a new football stadium with a retractable roof. Although not specified yet by amount, the Vikings are expected to contribute to the funding.
The commission, the Vikings, including owner Zygi Wilf, and state government leaders are taking a leadership position on the stadium as the clock ticks down to expiration of the team’s lease in the Metrodome after the 2011 season. Terwilliger thinks Minnesotans and the state legislature will decide the Vikings are too valuable to lose after more information is provided and discussion takes place.
“I think the community needs to have the discussion and I think once you do that you have a better understanding by leadership of what’s necessary to retain them,” he said. “I think people would not want to lose the Vikings. I think if you lose the Vikings… (you) go out and get another team and do the same thing and it would probably be more costly. … I don’t think the public wants to do that. …”
Terwilliger said the strategy is to bring the plan for the stadium (also includes redevelopment of the surrounding neighborhood) to the legislative leadership without specifics as to funding. The city of Minneapolis is restricted by law from providing more than $10 million to build a stadium. Hennepin County by itself will not fund the Viking facility because of its sales tax commitment for the new Twins stadium.
It was suggested to Terwilliger that stadium proponents will consider funding sources such as metro or state sales tax revenues, car rental taxes, and sales or users taxes in and around the stadium area. “It’s going to be a combination of one or some of those things,” he said. “I hate to speculate on what it might be. There are all kinds of examples of what has taken place (around the country to fund stadiums). …”
Terwilliger said there may be some cost cutting to the final budget for the project but clearly the price announced last week will not change dramatically. Part of that reality is the project includes millions for infrastructure and parking but it’s also because the Vikings insist on a new (not renovated Metrodome) stadium, and both the commission and team want a retractable roof.
Terwilliger said the Vikings are at the bottom among NFL teams in revenues. A remodeled dome won’t provide the fan enhancements, amenities and resulting revenues that a new stadium offers. From the community perspective, he said, a large new facility with a roof continues the tradition set by the Metrodome of attracting a variety of events ranging from religious rallies to concerts to truck pulls to NCAA Final Fours to high school playoffs. “The fact is that in 25 years, 77 million people have visited events of one kind or another whether it be a Super Bowl, or a Final Four, or World Series, or whatever,” Terwilliger said.