May 07, 2007
Wilf offers $30m less for Vikings stadium
Minnesota Vikings owner Zygi Wilf has issued a figure for how much of the $954 million cost of a new downtown stadium he'd pay for: $250 million. That's $30 million less than he offered for a stadium in suburban Blaine last year, and a little over one-quarter of the total stadium cost - or one-third if you're Wilf (or the Minneapolis Star Tribune) and don't count the cost of the stadium roof, which the Vikings owner says he doesn't need.
As for who'd pay the other $700 million, here's how the Star Trib puts it:
Who would cover the remainder of the stadium cost - about three-quarters of $1 billion - is not clear. The Vikings currently have no public partner, other than the commission.
Although Hennepin County appears financially drained from its commitment toward a new Twins ballpark, Wilf said there may be ways for the county to agree as early as next year to contribute toward a Vikings stadium.
"It's not out of the question," he said, offering no specifics.
As is all too typical in stadium plans, no specifics were also offered on how stadium revenues would be split - meaning it's impossible to know if some of the additional costs could be paid off with such things as naming rights fees and luxury suite sales, or if Wilf is counting on those revenue streams to fund his quarter-billion-dollar share. Note to all current and would-be stadium reporters: It's the lease terms, stupid.
