SB Nation Minnesota - Vikings stadium design underway with design firm HKS Inc.

NFL will look at Vikings hosting Super Bowl, Roger Goodell says

2012-10-08T19:44:57Z

The Minnesota Vikings are playing very well this season, and look like they could be on their way to a postseason appearance. A shot at the Super Bowl still seems a ways off, but if the team continues to improve season-to-season as they did from 2011 to this year, then they could be playing in the game. They'd love to be playing in it before their new stadium plays host to it, of course, considering that wouldn't be until 2018 or 2019, if at all.

As noted by ESPN Twin Cities, the Vikings are hoping to host a Super Bowl in their new stadium once it's built. NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell was asked about the possibility of them hosting it, and he said that the league would look into it.

"I understand they've indicated an interest in maybe doing it around '18 or '19 and so they'll get in the rotation," he said. "We still have a couple of years before we even get to considering that. It will be down the road which is probably good because I think you want to wait and get the stadium up and running."

The main potential deterrent to a Super Bowl hosted at the new stadium: the weather. But seeing as how New York will have the Super Bowl next season, that concern is quickly diminishing in severity. It did seem like those cities were getting passed up at times in recent years, but it looks like the Vikings will have a solid opportunity once the stadium is built.

Vikings stadium to be designed by longtime fan

2012-10-08T16:18:58Z

With every hurdle cleared and an architectural design firm hired, the Minnesota Vikings are truly ready to begin work on their future $975 million stadium that will replace the Metrodome. HKS Inc. was the company selected to handle the design, and they boast a solid reputation in the world of spots venues. If that doesn't do it for your confidence, perhaps this piece from the Star Tribune will. Mark Williams, a principal with HKS and someone who will be working on the new stadium, is a longtime fan of the Vikings.

Williams, who is from Marshalltown, always made it a point to attend games at the old Bloomington's Metropolitan Stadium and then, of course, the Metrodome. Williams said that the team and the stadium experience is "near and dear" to him:

"I know how much these buildings mean to people. So we take it very seriously. And we know what we do and how we design it will have a huge effect on the success of the building."

Still, even if someone like Williams wasn't on board, the Vikings and their fans are in good hands, regardless. HKS designed Lucas Oil Stadium, where the Indianapolis Colts play, and that behemoth of a stadium over in Dallas where the Cowboys call home. Other than that, they've designed multiple MLB ballparks and minor league stadiums as well. It really does look like the best firm got the contract in this one.

Vikings stadium to have designer by Friday

2012-09-27T01:53:41Z

The Minnesota Sports Facilities Authority has announced that a meeting has been scheduled for this Friday to pick a designer for the new Minnesota Vikings stadium. Chairwoman Michele Kelm-Helgen told reporters that the group has yet to pick a finalist or even eliminate one of the groups, but she believes a decision will be chosen by Friday.

Once the firm is chosen, its bid will be made public, which includes its rendering of the new stadium. That said, the new stadium will not necessarily end up looking like the chosen proposal, Kelm-Helgen said. That's because the designs do not include potential cost.

There are five firms competing to design the stadium: AECOM (Los Angeles), Ewing Cole (Philadelphia), HKS (Dallas), HNTB (Kansas City) and Populous (Kansas City). Kelm-Helgen also said that the winning firm won't necessarily be picked because of the submitted proposal, as the Facilities Authority is looking more at general qualifications.

Vikings Stadium: Architect To Be Named Soon

2012-09-21T23:33:56Z

The Minnesota Vikings have been dealing with stadium issues for quite some time, but it seems as though they're pretty close to moving to the next step. That step, for those not in the know, would be selecting the architect they want designing the new stadium, which is expected to be ready for the 2016 season.

The choice of an architect is the most important decision the team will make according to Vikings team president Lester Bagley via the Pioneer Press:

The most important decision the Minnesota Vikings have to make about their new stadium could be selecting the architect, team president Lester Bagley said Thursday, Sept. 20, and the team is expected to do that within the next two weeks.

The Vikings have budgeted $975 million for the project and will rely on the new architect to decide what features are feasible within that budget. The most important feature would seem to be whether or not the new stadium will have a retractable roof.

For more on the Minnesota stadium situation, stay with SB Nation Minnesota's StoryStream. For more on the Vikings, head over to Daily Norseman. And for full NFL coverage, be sure to check out SB Nation's NFL hub.

Vikings Stadium Could Include Controversial Private Seat Licensing

2012-09-21T13:36:47Z

The use of personal seat licenses (PSLs) has become popular with teams in the NFL as an additional revenue stream, and even the Minnesota Vikings have admitted to the Pioneer Press that they are taking a "hard look" at introducing PSL fees to allow fans to guarantee the rights to specific seat for the new stadium planned to open in 2016.

The mechanics of a PSL are that the team sells the rights to buy season tickets for a particular seat in the stadium, and the PSL rights holder can then either buy season tickets in that spot or sell the license to someone else.

Many NFL teams have started to use PSLs in recent years. The Baltimore Ravens, Chicago Bears, Carolina Panthers, Cleveland Browns, New York Giants, New York Jets, Houston Texans, St. Louis Rams and Tennessee Titans all use some form of the PSL model.

Vikings Stadium Could Borrow Some Features From Colts

2012-09-11T15:43:12Z

Those who are curious about the Minnesota Vikings' new stadium design need look no further than the Colts' Lucas Oil Stadium. The Vikings head to Indianapolis on Sunday, so fans will get a good look at what may be coming.

The Vikings plan to borrow heavily from the Indianapolis stadium, reports Charley Walters. Particularly, they like the idea of a retractable side window that overlooks the skyline, and eight-person luxury suites above the end-zones.

The Vikings are exploring the possibility of a retractable roof, which Lucas Oil Stadium also has.

But money could be a factor. The Vikings' budget is around $975 million for the stadium, and Walters estimates that, in today's economy, a stadium like Lucas Oil could cost around $1 billion.

Indianapolis hosted the Super Bowl in 2012, and the NCAA men's basketball Final Four in 2010.

Vikings Submit Bid To Host 2018 Super Bowl At New Stadium

2012-09-06T23:56:53Z

The Minnesota Vikings have put in a bid to host the 2018 Super Bowl at their new stadium, ESPN reported. The decision on where to hold the 2018 Super Bowl is expected to be made at the NFL's 2014 spring meetings, and the stadium is expected to be completed in time for the 2016 season. "We're determined to bring a Super Bowl to Minnesota," said Lester Bagley, Vikings' vice president of public affairs and stadium development.

NFL policy is generally to hold the Super Bowl at stadiums in warm-weather locations or in domes, and the Vikings' new stadium is expected to have some type of roof. Whether it is retractable or permanent is unknown at this time.
The Vikings last hosted the superbowl in 1992, at the Metrodome.

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Vikings Stadium: Design Firms Showcase Past Work To Campaign For Contract

2012-09-06T19:34:09Z

The Minnesota Vikings have cleared all the necessary hurdles for their stadium to earn its approval, and have spent the last few months working with different architectural firms and other planners to see how the project is actually going to look and come together.

On Thursday, the Vikings hosted an open house at the Metrodome, sponsored by the Minnesota Sports Facilities Authority, where the five architectural firms competing to land the design contract for the stadium showed off their work. According to The Pioneer Press, no renderings of the proposed stadium were featured at the event, with the firms instead displaying past work to wow the viewers.

The proposed renderings weren't released likely because the competing firms don't want their in-progress work seen by the other firms. The report from The Pioneer Press lists the bidders for the design contract, including AECOM, Ewing Cole of Philadelphia, HKS of Dallas, HNTB out of Kansas City and Populous out of Kansas City.

The most notable of those, at least as far as Minnesota is concerned, is Populous, which designed Target Field (home of the Twins), TCF Bank Stadium (home of Minnesota University athletics) and the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul (home of the Wild). The other bidders can list the stadiums for the Seattle Seahawks, New York Giants and Jets, Indianapolis Colts and the future San Francisco 49ers stadium in Santa Clara, Calif., among their work.