As most figured it would, the new Minnesota Vikings stadium is likely being narrowed down to the current site at the Metrodome, at least for the Legislature as they meet on Tuesday. According to the Associated Press, Governor Mark Dayton told Vikings owner Zygi Wilf that if the team wanted the stadium bill to pass Legislature, then it would have to be the Metrodome site, firmly putting the ball in Minnesota's court.
Not only is the current site of the Metrodome not the top option for the Vikings, who still prefer the Arden Hills site, it's not even their secondary option as they'd prefer to not have to play at TCF Bank Stadium while a new stadium is built at the site of the Metrodome. It truly looks like the state knew all along they'd prefer the site at the Metrdome, despite multiple proposals being submitted and "examined." That being said, what's done is done and now the ball is firmly in the Vikings' court.
It's now on the team to figure it out. Do they go with the site at the Metrodome, which costs the least for the City of Minneapolis and the state, but offers the least amount of growth economically? Or do the Vikings bite the bullet and wait it out a year to try and secure a new stadium in greener pastures? Another option would be to start the process of threatening relocation, something they've implied they're willing to do with an earlier advertising spot which tried to secure funding by utilizing taxes that wouldn't exist if the Vikings weren't in Minnesota.
The Metrodome site is not preferred because the Vikings already know the area. There's not a lot of room for economic growth, while the Arden Hills site also would have included a lot of land and development that the Vikings could have profited on. It's actually surprising that the NFL is not pushing to side with the Vikings on this one because it would increase revenue for the team in the long run, even if it is more expensive for the state in the short term. Either way, it's anybody's guess where this goes from here.
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