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November 21, 2006
Anoka County to Vikes: Don't let the door hit you
So much for that $800 million Minnesota Vikings stadium that no one knew how to pay for: Yesterday Anoka County officially pulled the plug on its three-year-old stadium campaign, paving the way for many bad failed-relationship metaphors.
The final straw apparently came this weekend when news broke that Minneapolis was seriously exploring building a new stadium for the Vikings. When team owner Zygi Wilf failed to respond to a letter from the county seeking "exclusivity," county officials issued a statement withdrawing their stadium offer.
So much, it seems, for the Vikes playing off Minneapolis against the suburbs. "This is not a happy day out here," team stadium czar Lester Bagley told the St. Paul Pioneer Press. Given that there's even less indication where the money for a downtown stadium might come from, I can imagine this is not a good day for Vikings management's happiness meter.
The Anoka County Vikings stadium plan is a bad idea for several reasons. First is the location. The majority of Vikings fans live south and west of downtown Minneapolis. The proposed stadium site is a half-hour drive north of downtown Minneapolis. Second is the cost to local taxpayers. The proposed sales tax increase of .75% is five times higher than the controversial Hennepin County Twins stadium sales tax increase of .15%. Third, Anoka County and Vikings officials used grossly understated cost estimates when they presented their case to the Minnesota State Legislature in 2006. There are many other reasons for the failure but I don't have enough space available to write a book entitled "Stupid Stadium Tricks."
Posted by Jim on December 3, 2006 04:55 PM