FAQs
Why did the Vikings choose Ramsey County to be their local
partner?
Over the past several months, the Vikings have had discussions
with the City of Minneapolis, Hennepin County and Ramsey
County. During the process, Ramsey County has been a willing
and strong partner, and both the team and the County are excited
about this stadium vision. The vision for a retractable-roof stadium
at the TCAAP site in Arden Hills provides a tremendous game-day
experience for our fans, meets the needs of the Vikings and the NFL,
provides a year-round multi-purpose facility for all Minnesotans to
use, and is supported by a workable finance plan.
What are the benefits of the Arden Hills site?
The Ramsey County site has many benefits for Vikings fans and
the state of Minnesota including:
* Excellent access to the site – only 10 miles from both Minneapolis
and St. Paul
* A football destination – an opportunity to make Vikings games a
day-long fan experience with friends and family
* 21,000 parking spaces, allowing the return of tailgating – a fan-
friendly NFL tradition
* Very close to the Blaine National Sports Center – makes the
metro’s east side into a sports destination for Minnesota families
* Because the site is still in close proximity to both downtowns - as
well as the rest of the metro area, it will have the ability to host
large-scale events like Major League Soccer, the NCAA Final
Four, college football Bowl games, as well as a Super Bowl
* A year-round facility that can host high school, college and
amateur sports as well as community events and celebrations
What are the specifics of the agreement and financing plan?
The retractable-roof stadium at the TCAAP site will cost $884
million, and the total on-site project costs are $1.057 billion. The
Vikings will commit $407 million, the County will commit $350
million and the State will be responsible for $300 million. The
Vikings and the County are working with State legislative leaders
and the Minnesota Department of Transportation on identifying the
costs and funding options for off-site road improvements, estimated
to be approximately $7 million per year.
The Vikings $407 million is 44% of the stadium costs and 39% of
the total project costs. Ramsey County will raise a .5% sales tax
($0.50 on every $100) to cover $350 million in bonds, and the State
will rely on a sports memorabilia tax, a dedicated sports-themed
lottery and taxes on users of the facility to cover its portion of the
costs.
What is the next step of the process at the Capitol?
By bringing forward a site, a local partner and a finance plan,
two-thirds of the equation have been solved. What remains is
determining the source of the State’s contribution - essentially how
do we pay for the roof? We believe there is enough time remaining
in the legislative session to gather input from legislators and the
public on how to best resolve this issue.
What about the transportation needs and costs of this site?
Who is going to pay for those?
The Vikings and Ramsey County are working with State legislative
leaders and the Minnesota Department of Transportation to
determine the required transportation upgrades to ensure this will
be a successful project.
The infrastructure needs at this site are necessary regardless of
whether or not a Vikings stadium is built at this site. While this
agreement may expedite the process to address them, those
needs must be addressed at some point in the future to facilitate
the development and growth of this area.
What are the environmental/cleanup concerns?
Ramsey County and the Vikings have concluded that the
environmental remediation at the site can be accomplished safely
and at a reasonable cost to allow for the stadium to open in 2015
and surrounding development at the site thereafter.
What about the Metrodome site?
The Vikings were not involved in developing the Minneapolis
stadium proposal, nor does the team support it. The proposal
offered by Ramsey County is the only viable proposal put forth by
a potential local partner. The team is appreciative of the willingness
and creativity of Ramsey County in working to accomplish a deal
that works for the team, the County and the State. The Ramsey
County site has great opportunities and offers numerous benefits
for our fans and organization.
What are the amenities for fans?
Along with the tailgating opportunities, a new stadium in Arden
Hills will include increased handicapped accessibility, wider
concourses, more restrooms and concessions with better food
options, maximized sideline seating and an world-class game-day
experience. There will be ample space for pre-game events and
activities, as well as a potential Vikings Hall of Fame and team
store. The Vikings goal is to make the stadium a destination for
fans to enjoy the entire NFL experience.
The polls say people don’t want to fund a new stadium; why
should we do it this year?
Actually most polls say people want a solution that keeps the Vikings
in Minnesota. Twenty-eight of the 32 NFL cities have found ways
to build new stadiums since 1992, and each of those communities
has benefited from retaining its team. While economic conditions
present a challenge, the Vikings believe 2011 is the year to find a
solution for several reasons: interest rates and construction costs
are lower than previous years but trending upward, the project will
support 13,000 jobs, including 7,500 construction jobs, and provide
significant economic activity. When the building and construction
trades are suffering from 20% unemployment, now is the time to
put those people back to work, and a Vikings stadium is the largest
project on the horizon to do that. We can’t do business at the
Capitol via public opinion polls. If we did, Minnesota never would
have built the Hiawatha Light Rail Line, Target Field or the Guthrie
Theater. This project needs leadership and action at the State and
local level.