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October 11, 2011

Could BC Place-style renovation work for Metrodome?

Apparently FoS commenters aren't the only ones looking at Vancouver's newly renovated BC Place and wondering why Minneapolis can't do something similar with the Metrodome for the Vikings:

In late September, the Vancouver, B.C.-based BC Pavilion Corp. unveiled its BC Place stadium, home of the British Columbia Lions football team. Before the taxpayer-funded renovation, the stadium was about the same age, size and style as the 29-year-old Metrodome.
The Canadian project was completed for $563 million — considered a relative bargain by today's standards and about half as much as it would cost to build a proposed Vikings stadium in Arden Hills.

Now, there are still a ton of unanswered questions about any Metrodome renovation, foremost among them: Would a half-billion-or-so price tag be reasonable (a Vikings spokesperson claimed renovation would cost $967.4 million, but then they're the ones trying to argue for a new stadium), and would the Vikings still chip in the same $350 million that it's committed to a new building? Still, that anyone is even talking about this gives the idea a teeny bit of traction, especially when you already have a leading state official making noise about rehabbing the Metrodome. Of course, depending on the financing and the lease, a renovation can still end up being a money pit for taxpayers — in any case, this is clearly something that bears watching.

COMMENTS

The Vikings have already committed north of $400M on a new stadium. That plus the NFL stadium fund... heck, there doesn't seem to be ANY public money needed for rehabbing the Dome!

Of course, that's not how things are *done*, so we all know Wilf will never go for it. Not sure where he plans on playing next year. Good thing his lease with the Dome automatically renews!

Posted by Geoff on October 11, 2011 11:41 AM

If you are talking about the same kind of roof system, it is unlikely it could be made to work economically in Minnesota. Frankfurt & Vancouver don't have the same environmental conditions as Minneapolis does.

Could they renovate the existing stadium to make it better? Absolutely. And depending on what type of roof system they chose, they might even be able to do it for less than the original budget cost in BC ($360m or so).

Posted by John Bladen on October 11, 2011 12:45 PM

The state's share is going to be about the same to rehab an old stadium as it is to build a new one that's upgradeable. You might as well buy the new stadium and have all the amenities a new stadium provides.

Posted by Ollie Churpuzzy on April 22, 2012 10:37 AM

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