Arden Hills stadium plan by the numbers: 65K seats, 21K parking spots
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ST. PAUL -- The Minnesota Vikings and Ramsey County on Tuesday announced an agreement to pursue a $1.057 billion stadium project in Arden Hills.
The fate of the project now hinges on the state Legislature, which will hear a pitch from Vikings owner Zygi Wilf and Ramsey County officials in the coming days. The legislative session is scheduled to end on May 23.
Here's a thumbnail sketch of the project's important points:
What it would cost
• Total cost: $1.057 billion.
• Breakdown: $884 million for the stadium. $173 million for on-site infrastructure, parking and environmental costs.
Who would pay for it
• Vikings commitment: $407 million (39% of the total project costs).
• Ramsey County commitment: $350 million (33%), to be raised through a 0.5% sales tax increase.
• State of Minnesota commitment: $300 million (28%), to be raised through a variety of usage-based taxes, including pro-sports memorabilia, direct satellite services and a dedicated sports-themed lottery game.
• Additional costs: $7 million per year in "off-site transportation needs" on which the Vikings and county officials say they're working with legislators and the state's department of transportation. Transportation upgrades, including highway work in surrounding areas, have been estimated at $240 million.
What it would look like
• Location: Arden Hills, Minn., on the site of the abandoned Twin Cities Army Ammunitions Plant.
• Building type: Retractable-roof, multipurpose facility.
• Square footage: 1.54 million.
• Seating capacity: 65,000. (Expandable to 72,000 for major events, such as a Super Bowl.)
• Suites: 120 to 150.
• Club seats: 7,500.
• Personal seat licenses: Undecided.
• Parking: Roughly 21,000 spots on site.
Who would own it
• The stadium would be owned and operated by a "sports authority," similar to the organization that operates the Metrodome.
• The Vikings would sign a 30-year lease and pay 90% of operating expenses.
Who would build it
• According to the Vikings, the project would support 13,000 full- and part-time jobs, including 7,500 construction jobs, during the three-year project. It would involve 4.2 million work hours at a cost of nearly $300 million in wages, with 95% of total materials and labor costs expected to go to local tradespeople in Minnesota.
When it would be ready
• The target completion date is Spring 2015.
