The Minnesota Vikings will likely have to move forward with their plans for a new stadium without their preferred site as an option. Minnesota Governor Mark Dayton held a conference on Wednesday to discuss the proposals introduced to him on Thursday of last week, and effectively eliminated the site of Arden Hills, according to Tom Pelissero and Jeff Goldberg. Dayton said that Arden Hills had "no apparent means to raise its local share" and also added that "if the Vikings truly want Arden Hills, they have missed their opportunity to inspire decision makers."
It was clear from the beginning that Dayton was not a fan of a site outside of Minneapolos, whether his reasoning is sound or not, it's really off the table at this point.
While the Linden Avenue site wasn't expressly confirmed as per earlier reports, it remains one of two feasible sites for the stadium, both in Minneapolis. Dayton did make it clear that the site had more upside, citing problems with the Metrodome location and the fact that the Vikings would have to play at TCF Bank Stadium for three years while a major renovation/rebuilding takes place.
Dayton did express that neither of the two sites were totally feasible with the proposals handed in. The Vikings have to resolve a myriad of issues, and it's likely they'll heavily pursue the Linden Avenue site, so as to avoid the current site of the Metrodome, which has been reported as their least-favorite place to build.
There is a legislative session on Jan. 24 that is the next deadline to keep an eye on. Perhaps at that point, it will be narrowed down to Linden Avenue, while some would tell you that it already has been.
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