Rybak Proposes, Vikings Decline 'People's Stadium'

The odds for getting a publicly funded Vikings stadium built in Minnesota appear long, but that didn't stop Minneapolis Mayor RT Rybak from making a public pitch on Thursday for a city-funded stadium.

At the core of the mayor's presentation were details of two different funding proposals to generate between hundreds of millions of dollars in revenue to fund a new stadium in one of three sites around the city. Two of those sites sit just north of the Minneapolis Basilica and the other now holds the Metrodome.

Using one approach, a .35 percent sales tax and a 1 percent lodging tax would be used to raise between $195 and $300 million, depending on the site. In the other approach, a 5 percent tax on revenue from a new downtown casino in the failed Block E entertainment development and a $20 million license fee would be used to raise the money.

In a move that will likely appeal to some homeowners, Rybak also roped property tax relief into the plan. Part of the stadium proposal would include a $150 million renovation to the Target Center, paid for with some of the sales tax proceeds. The plan would also eliminate the Tax Increment Financing district that currently channels Target Center property taxes to pay off city bonds used to buy the building. The move would put some $5 million per year more in the city's property tax coffers, helping future city budgets keep tax rate increases down.

The mayor acknowledged his plan would be a tough sell. Indeed, a good portion of the City Council——say they don't like the idea of a publicly funded sports facility. Furthermore,  there seems to be no appetite among either their DFL or Republican colleagues for approving public dollars for a stadium. 

Still, Rybak placed his plan's "boldness" on par with the founders of the city's park system. The new Vikings stadium, he said, would be "for a city of big visions and big dreams."

"I believe it's important for people to stand up and stick their necks out" in support of public amenities, he said.

Rybak said he and City Council President Barb Johnson hadn't come up with their plan under threat of the team's departure from Minnesota.

"I haven't heard the Vikings raise that specter much," Rybak said. "If I get a sense of blackmail, I'll walk away."

Despite his rhetorical bravado, the Rybak-Johnson plan was quickly shot down by a Vikings spokesperson, who confirmed that the team was still bent on building its new home in Arden Hills.

The Three Proposed Sites:

Linden Avenue Site: Between I-94, I-394, and railroad tracks used by the Northstar commuter rail.

• Total cost: $1.031 billion
• Opening Date: 2016
• City Contribution: $285 million
• City Base Annual Operating Contribution: $9 million

Farmers Market Site: Between I-94, Glenwood Boulevard, Olson Memorial Highway, and Royalston Ave North.

• Total Cost: $1.046 billion
• Opening Date: 2016
• City Contribution: $300 million
• City Base Annual Operating Contribution: $9 million

Downtown East Site: On the current location of the Metrodome.

• Total Cost: $895 million
• Opening Date: $2015
• City Contribution: $195 million
• City Base Annual Operating Contribution: $9 million