Roseville's Marty Offers Bi-Partisan Alternative on Vikings Stadium Plan

State Sen. John Marty (DFL-Roseville) and Rep. Linda Runbeck (R-Circle Pines) today offered an alternatve stadium plan for the Minnesota Vikings, proposing to give the Metrodome to the professional football team in return for a 25-year contract commitment to stay and play in Minnesota.

"We offer this proposal, not as a perfect solution but one that reflects fiscal responsibility and fairness for both the Vikings and the taxpayers of Minnesota," Marty said at a Capitol press conference this morning.

Marty contended the bi-partisan plan is a serious proposal the Vikings should examine because some polls show that Minnesota voters oppose the the use of public money to build a new stadium by more than a three-to-one margin. "We are here to inject some fiscal sanity to the debate," he said.

Marty contended that a Ramsey County plan to put a new Vikings stadium in Arden Hills is not prudent because it would require a more than $650 million taxpayer subsidy, the largest in history for any pro sports team.  Both Marty and Runbeck oppose a proposal to charge Ramsey County residents a half-cent sales tax to build a new Vikings stadium in Arden Hills.

But Marty and Runbeck said the Metrodome exchange would enable the Vikings to do what they want with that stadium. The two legislators' bill would make the Vikings the owners of the stadium and land, free to renovate or tear it down as they see fit and to reap the benefits of gaining all revenue from the site, including concessions.

In return, the Viking would be obligated to play in Minnesota for at least another 25 years and the team would pay annual property taxes, which currently would be about $1.6 million a year, Runbeck said. She noted the Metrodome property is currently valued at about $42 million.

Under their bill, the two lawmakers also said the Metropolitan Sports Facilities Commission, which currently manages the Metrodome, would be eliminated. They plan to introduce their bill if Gov. Mark Dayton calls a special session of the Legislature in November to address the stadium issue.

Runbeck contended that a renovated Metrodome is a viable option to building a new stadium, noting that given the political climate, other pro teams are looking to freshen up their staidums rather than build brand new. Just this week the Buffalo Bills announced they had hired a firm to propose a facelift for their 39-year-old staidum and expect that cost to range from $40 million to more than  $100 million, she said.

Asked about the threat of the Vikings leaving Minnesota and relocating to Los Angeles, where officials there are scouting for a new pro football team; Marty noted that Vikings owner Zygi Wilf has previously promised to keep his team in Minnesota forever.

Marty said if Wilf breaks that promise, it would cost him $250 milion or more to relocate the team to another city. And he might end up having to build himself a totally privately-financed stadium.

Ultimately, Marty and Runbeck said their propsosal is competitive with anything that is being put up in Los Angeles. At the press conference, they said they have not talked yet to the Vikings about their plan.

Marty concluded that he doesn't expect the Vikings initially to be enthused with his legislative proposal. But given the economy, Minnesota's struggling budget and voter sentiment against using tax dollars to help pay for a new stadium, "we have to get real," he said. "We believe that when they ( the Vikings) conduct an honest assessment of the situation, they will understand the fairness of this proposal."