New Minnesota Vikings Stadium Thread (St. Paul: buying, tenant, school)

[Blue Earth]

One option would be to build something like Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis.

Link: Lucas Oil Stadium - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

It would be an indoor stadium, but would have a retractable roof to satisfy those who want the outdoor feel. Build it on the Metrodome site. It could be modeled after the Minneapolis Armory and Williams Arena on the U of M campus. Basically, a large brick building with a curved roof, like a huge airplane hangar.

Link: Minneapolis Armory - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Imagine a building like the Minneapolis Armory only two or three times bigger. That's basically what Lucas Oil Stadium is like, just a little more boxy. A stadium like that would look awesome on the Metrodome site, and would pay homage to the Armory, which is just two blocks west.

I doubt that will happen though.

[west336]

I've said this before in other places and I'll say it here, let's build a HUGE Vikings ship that can be a tourist attraction AND a stadium all in one. An icon that people won't just want to see 8 days a year (plus the occasional other event). I know they have something to this effect in Tampa Bay, but not an entire stadium that's within a ship.

Oh, it should be downtown, away from its current site so that site can be redeveloped into a multi-use urban park with a lake and high-density housing.

[golfgal]

Originally Posted by west336

I've said this before in other places and I'll say it here, let's build a HUGE Vikings ship that can be a tourist attraction AND a stadium all in one. An icon that people won't just want to see 8 days a year (plus the occasional other event). I know they have something to this effect in Tampa Bay, but not an entire stadium that's within a ship.

Oh, it should be downtown, away from its current site so that site can be redeveloped into a multi-use urban park with a lake and high-density housing.

The metrodome is used almost every day of the year. When the dome collapsed there was a mad scramble to find venues for everything. I think there were 250 baseball games alone that had to be relocated. Heck, our high school marching band uses the dome 3 or 4 days/year along with having 1-2 competitions there each year. Not that I am a big fan of building something new but the Metrodome does get more use than people think. It is a "dump" compared to other stadiums but I think the people that will most benefit from having a new stadium should pay for it-i.e. the owners and players.

[crazynip]

So have they fixed the metrodome yet?

[Ghengis]

thoughts on the three most "likely" sites for the stadium...

Farmer's Market: would be the best location as far as taking advantage of the available downtown vibrancy and create another piece of a downtown sports complex that would be unrivaled in the country, if not the entire world. The stadium would pump close to another million people into that area in spectators, support staff and national media for just the ten football game alone each year. The resulting retail, entertainment, hospitality and residential development would change the look and feel for the long neglected, ware house district and kick start a long lasting development of the west side for years to come.

Metrodome: Most economical location but has little left to offer as the remoteness failed to generate any relevant development in it's previous 30 years of existence. Does offer more room of the two downtown locations but would still not be able to incorporate the needed room for a sizable surface parking lot and the opportunity to tail gate before the games.

Arden Hills: still the most viable option as it has the backing of a local municipality, without which the downtown locations are non-starters. As anyone who attended games at Met Stadium or Met Sports Center can attest to, the ability to tail gate is a amenity that has been absent for so long here that most fans do not even realize what is lacking in the current sports scene.

In reality, the first two options are not really options at all and Minneapolis would rather have a money-bleeding Convention Center, that needs the funding from the existing downtown hospitality that was suppose to fund Metropolitan Sports Facilities, than a stadium.

[knke0204]

Originally Posted by crazynip

So have they fixed the metrodome yet?

No. New Roof should be complete by August 1. I've heard that the majority of the panels have been replaced already. Go Mall of America Field.

Golfgal's point is right on. The Dome is used for so many things, and it's much much more than '8 games of Football'. It's got so many uses. I played High School Baseball there, and it was a blast.

[MN-Born-n-Raised]

Originally Posted by golfgal

The metrodome is used almost every day of the year. When the dome collapsed there was a mad scramble to find venues for everything. I think there were 250 baseball games alone that had to be relocated. Heck, our high school marching band uses the dome 3 or 4 days/year along with having 1-2 competitions there each year. Not that I am a big fan of building something new but the Metrodome does get more use than people think. It is a "dump" compared to other stadiums but I think the people that will most benefit from having a new stadium should pay for it-i.e. the owners and players.

When the Twins, Gophers, and Vikings played in the same complex, THEN the Dome was used to its full potential.

If all three stadiums (economically) had to stand on their own two feet, then they would have had a single new stadium with a compromised design. That design would have still been better than the crappy Dome. If everyone has to have their own stadium, then the team that plays 8 games a year should be the one that gets cut. Sorry. Stupid business decisions most often happen when you spend other peoples money. Couldn't they have at least combined the Gophers and the Vikings?? NOPE! NOW the numbers don't work and that is why the stadium needs the "help" from the state and the county. I say let them go because the numbers won't work and they blew their chances.

Filling up a billion dollar facility with a cheer-leading competition or other small events is a waste unless it already stands on its own two feet. As a side note Golfgal, I've been in the Dome for the high school band competition a few times. Acoustically, it is THE worst that you could ever hope for (one reason is because the event is nearly empty for that size of a stadium and the echo is maddening). I thought the point of having a band competition was to judge the sound quality?? It was amazing to me that a near empty Dome year-after-year was selected as a band competition.

[golfgal]

Originally Posted by MN-Born-n-Raised

When the Twins, Gophers, and Vikings played in the same complex, THEN the Dome was used to its full potential.

If all three stadiums (economically) had to stand on their own two feet, then they would have had a single new stadium with a compromised design. That design would have still been better than the crappy Dome. If everyone has to have their own stadium, then the team that plays 8 games a year should be the one that gets cut. Sorry. Stupid business decisions most often happen when you spend other peoples money. Couldn't they have at least combined the Gophers and the Vikings?? NOPE! NOW the numbers don't work and that is why the stadium needs the "help" from the state and the county. I say let them go because the numbers won't work and they blew their chances.

Filling up a billion dollar facility with a cheer-leading competition or other small events is a waste unless it already stands on its own two feet. As a side note Golfgal, I've been in the Dome for the high school band competition a few times. Acoustically, it is THE worst that you could ever hope for (one reason is because the event is nearly empty for that size of a stadium and the echo is maddening). I thought the point of having a band competition was to judge the sound quality?? It was amazing to me that a near empty Dome year-after-year was selected as a band competition.

I agree that acoustics are horrible but it is the only domed stadium in the area. According to the articles in the Trib about the new roof, that is supposed to help with that problem. It is also maddening that they won't open the upper level for the band competitions as that is where they are best viewed . The point is, they DO use the dome for many things other than football.

[knke0204]

Even as an outdated, cheaply made generic dump the Dome is now, it is still used over 300 days a year. That's more than most places, including the convention center.

Having a newer multi-use stadium will most certainly bring in more uses.

This is what the dome hosts already:

Used on 300 days of the year (More than beloved schools and community centers are open)
-Rollerblading and walking for people during winter hours.
-High School Football
-High School baseball
-College Baseball
- Dog shows
- Concerts
- Monster Truck Jams
- Snowcross
- Supercross
- ATV
- Large Religious gatherings
- MDRA Running
- Cultural events such as Hmong New Year
- Golf shows
- home and garden shows
- car shows

The Dome has also hosted a NCAA Final Four, Super Bowl, World Series all of which bring in big $$.

[1stpontiac]

Originally Posted by knke0204

Even as an outdated, cheaply made generic dump the Dome is now, it is still used over 300 days a year. That's more than most places, including the convention center.

Having a newer multi-use stadium will most certainly bring in more uses.

This is what the dome hosts already:

Used on 300 days of the year (More than beloved schools and community centers are open)
-Rollerblading and walking for people during winter hours.
-High School Football
-High School baseball
-College Baseball
- Dog shows
- Concerts
- Monster Truck Jams
- Snowcross
- Supercross
- ATV
- Large Religious gatherings
- MDRA Running
- Cultural events such as Hmong New Year
- Golf shows
- home and garden shows
- car shows

The Dome has also hosted a NCAA Final Four, Super Bowl, World Series all of which bring in big $$.

Would the new stadium(s) being proposed allow the events above to use it? I don't mind using public money for a multi-use stadium, but if the stadium is built so specifically and with occupant restrictions that mean Vikings games would be about all that would ever use it, then I'm not a fan.