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Vikings Stadium Update: Yet Another Site Considered Near Metrodome

The Minnesota Vikings are still without funding for a new football stadium to replace the Metrodome. Unfortunately, they're not even at the point where talking about funding is pertinent, because the state can't agree on a stadium site. They started with two potential sites, at the Metrodome and Arden Hills, then branched off to add the Linden Avenue site, and then a site just a couple blocks away from the Metrodome site. Through all this, some other places were submitting their proposals and further mucking up the picture.

Naturally, stadium negotiators are now considering a fifth site, according to the Star Tribune. That's a fifth site that is considered a "real" candidate, and not some city submitting a proposal that stands next to no chance to get done. Now, officials are looking at building the new stadium in the parking lot of the Metrodome, so by the time the thing is around 70% complete, they could pull down the Metrodome and the Vikings would only have to play limited games at Minnesota's TCF Bank stadium.

Of course, there's a whole slew of problems that make it unlikely such a project is approved sooner rather than later. There's a lot of road work that would need to be done, and a potential substation that would need to be moved or buried. Not to mention the fact that this would eliminate most of the stadium parking for the current Metrodome for at least three years, something that is already a massive headache to begin with.

Plus, the Vikings themselves aren't likely to go for this option. For one, it still could include games at TCF Bank Stadium, which would mean it would still require millions of dollars in upgrades to meet the NFL's standards for an NFL game. In fact, the Vikings are already expressing negativity regarding this stadium option, with team vice president Lester Bagley voicing concern about the substation.

It's really late in the game right now, and this legislative session isn't likely to approve a stadium site at this point, which would push it back another year. There's just too many sites and nobody can agree on one of them.

Photographs by Micah Taylor, clairity, and Fibonacci Blue used in background montage under Creative Commons. Thank you.