Roy Terwilliger, Metropolitan Sports Facilities Commission chair, told SportsHeadliners recently he expects a bill to be introduced in the 2009 legislature supporting a new stadium on the Metrodome site. Terwilliger agrees with the consensus of various stadium leaders that a bill will not be created during the 2008 session because of other state priorities.
The projected cost of a retractable roof stadium is at least $954 million and delays in construction will escalate expenses. Terwilliger said that if the project begins in 2010 it may be possible to build at that cost and open the stadium in 2012. The facility will be home to the Minnesota Vikings and also many of the varied events hosted by the Metrodome over the years.
Support for community use is something Terwilliger has heard a lot abount on the commission’s “Listening Tour” that began earlier this year in places like Virginia, Rochester and Mankato. The tour’s purpose is to inform community leaders and the public about the stadium issue and to gather opinions from all concerned. In smaller communities people are accustomed to seeing their high school teams play at the dome and want the area to have a covered facility far into the future.
Terwilliger said people are learning on the tour that the new stadiums for the Gophers and Twins won’t be covered so a future Vikings facility offers the prospect of having a large multipurpose facility that can host high school and small college sports, plus a variety of for-profit entertainment and sports attractions regardless of weather. There are no guarantees, though, such a facility will be approved by the legislature and the Vikings’ lease with the commission expires after the 2011 season. Vikings owner Zygi Wilf is pushing hard for stadium action but isn’t threatening to move the team.
On the “Listening Tour” people ask about possible facility financing and Terwilliger said information is disseminated as to how other communities have funded stadiums. He wouldn’t, however, speculate to Sports Headliners what the financing plan may ultimately be, saying it’s “too early” to comment.
Tour stops coming up this month will be in Moorhead, St. Cloud, Duluth, Marshall, Minneapolis and Woodbury. So far the tour has been positive and beneficial, providing a forum to tell the story of the stadium situation and gather input from citizenry, according to the MSFC chair. “It’s really been a good public education experience,” Terwilliger said.