>>The Vikings have been pushing for this site in Arden Hills
>>which currently houses an abandoned Army munitions plant.
>They
>>really like this because since it's basically in the middle
>of
>>nowhere, Zygi Wilf (Vikings owner/real estate magnate) can
>not
>>only build a stadium, he can develop the area nearby into
>>restaurants, retail space, etc. They tried to do this same
>>thing somewhere in Blaine (where the Wilfs would have
>>basically had their own small town of office space, housing
>>and retail centered around a stadium) in like 04-05, but
>that
>>fell apart.
>
>Okay, I remember all the Arden Hills talk. A friend of a
>friend has parents who live out there, and I heard about it
>when it was first proposed. I didn't realize the secondary
>reasons why this would be so appealing to Wilf. My opinion of
>him has been bred out of deliberate ignorance, but even though
>it spans from "he's a doofus" to "there's something sinister
>there" I don't really care about that area or Ramsey County's
>finances so I sort of hope he finds a way to get his way if
>that site is the preference.

It looked like it was probably going to happen, but Ramsey County would have been pulling a lot of weight financially.

>>The problem with this is there will need to be a lot of
>money
>>spent on environmental cleanup and roadwork. The state does
>>not want to pay for this, and Ramsey County (who said they
>>were going to foot the bill for this) hasn't been able to
>come
>>up with their funding. Before this was even announced last
>>spring, Dayton said the state wasn't going to pay for
>redoing
>>the roads out there to accommodate increased traffic.
>
>Right. Infrastructure. We need that, don't we?



>>For these reasons, a lot of people in the capitol (and in
>>Minneapolis) would rather the Vikings try to build in
>>Minneapolis. The three sites suggested are the Metrodome
>site
>>(which the Vikes don't want, as they would have to play in
>TCF
>>Bank Stadium on the U campus for 2-3 years and can't really
>>develop the surrounding area,) the farmer's market near
>Target
>>Field (which would be cool but has spacial concerns and they
>>would share the parking garages with Target Field) and the
>>site near the Basilica. This last one has the team
>interested,
>>because the area is mostly empty and able to be developed,
>>plus it's near three different highways.
>
>Is the Metrodome only doomed if something new is built on the
>site? Or is it gone way or another? I've never quite
>understood the argument that you can't develop in the
>surrounding area, but it's repeated often enough by people who
>pay attention that I assume it's true. Is it because that
>area is so thoroughly fenced in by interstates?
>
>Additionally, the "we can't develop around there" seems like a
>weirdly founded complaint. Isn't the idea that there will be
>development helpful to the entire community is something that
>sounds true-ish that's largely concocted by owners trying to
>justify stadium handouts? So if the city can give them a
>stadium there without the team having to pretend that the area
>will be some new great place for families to spend time in
>April, then what's the problem?

I don't know what happens to the Dome if the Vikings get a new stadium on a different site. Once they move in, I imagine they take the high school football championships with it. People still use the dome during the week to go running in the concourses for $1. The stadium has more than paid for itself at this point.

And they're not (publicly) complaining about not being able to develop the Dome area as much as they are talking about the money they'd have to spend putting heating coils at TCF, expanding parking in that area and the loss in revenue (TCF only seats 50,000.) But that's definitely a reason they don't like the Dome site.

>>Minneapolis has been gaining a lot of steam lately, and the
>Basilica >site seems to be the one the Vikings like best. The
>church itself
>>isn't wild about this, but basically said that if they got
>>some money to offset their concerns over parking, they'd be
>>willing to go along with it.
>
>Ugh. I get what they're doing. This isn't a fight the
>Basilica wants to lose without a consolation prize, but I have
>a hard time imagining the parish keeping its size and shape
>when the area is flooded eight Sunday mornings a week - into
>Advent no less. On the other hand, my wife's church is really
>close to the Titans' stadium and they seem to do fine
>regarding it as a seasonal inconvenience.

Well, everyone seems to think they could still keep the basilica structure intact, although it's old enough that I wouldn't be shocked if it took some major damage with heavy construction in the area.

How old is your wife's church? Was it built after the stadium?

>>Also, Shakoppee is apparently trying to get in on this, but
>>that literally came up today and who knows if this is even
>>real.
>
>Didn't they do that with the Twins' park too? Oh Shakopee.
>Day late and also kind of lame.

It's on their city seal.