Vikings 'very, very close' to stadium deal with Ramsey County

The Minnesota Vikings reportedly are closing in on a deal with Ramsey County to build their new stadium in Arden Hills.

On the same day Hennepin County pulled itself out of the running, Ramsey County Commissioner Rafael Ortega told the Pioneer Press that "we are very, very close to coming to a full proposal with the Vikings. We have a few i's to dot and t's to cross. The big nut to crack, so to speak, is the transportation issue."

Hennepin County Board Chairman Mike Opat, who helped spearhead the push that built Target Field, sent a letter to Gov. Mark Dayton on Thursday that said it would be "too burdensome" for the county to act as the local partner for a Vikings stadium on the farmer's market site, too.

That leaves only two sites -- the current site of the Metrodome and the abandoned munitions plant in Arden Hills -- in the running. The stadium bill introduced in the Legislature last month relies on the team, the state and a local partner such as a city or county to each foot one-third of the bill.

The primary drawback to the Arden Hills site is added infrastructure costs that would up the price of a project already estimated to cost $900 million. The limited existing roadways near the site couldn't hold the crush of thousands of fans coming and going from Vikings games and other events.

"There's a viable proposal on the table and we're looking at it," Lester Bagley, the Vikings' vice president of public affairs and stadium development, told the Pioneer Press.

"We're trying to resolve this transportation issue so we can stand up and say, 'We've got a local partner and we've got an agreement.'"

Financing remains an issue with the Metrodome site, with neither the county nor the city of Minneapolis willing to foot the bill.

Finding a local partner is a key hurdle in the process but not only one remaining. Despite backing from Dayton, neither the House nor the Senate has held a hearing on the stadium issue.

The legislative session is scheduled to end on May 23.

Tom Pelissero is Senior Editor and columnist for 1500ESPN.com. He hosts from 6 to 8 p.m. weeknights and co-hosts from 10 a.m. to noon Sundays on 1500 ESPN Twin Cities.
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