Sports

Stadium Proposal Unveiled, but are the Vikings Interested?

Vikings: 'Our focus remains on Arden Hills.'

In the new and surprising push to have the Minnesota Vikings play in Shakopee, all that's certain is the unanimity of interest from local leaders. Vikings officials have only expressed appreciation—without a hint of endorsement—for the latest effort to keep the team in Minnesota. 

With a voice made hoarse from nonstop proposal planning, Shakopee Mayor Brad Tabke and other area leaders took to the State Capitol in St. Paul Wednesday afternoon to present details of how a Vikings stadium could be built in Shakopee.

Tabke showed maps of the 130-acre site—by Valleyfair, near the intersection of County Road 101 and Valley Park Drive. The property owner, Charles Mattson, has signed a letter of intent to sell the land for $21.5 million, or about $200,000 per acre, according to his developer and attorney, Richard Anderson.

Find out what's happening in Shakopeewith free, real-time updates from Patch.

"We have what we think is the best site," Tabke said. He was flanked by nearly a dozen supporters, including State Rep. Michael Beard (R-Shakopee), Sen. Claire Robling (R-Jordan), Shakopee Chamber of Commerce President Angie Whitcomb and Cory Merrifield, a self-described "fan advocate" and founder of the web site SaveTheVikes.org. All five worked on the proposal for several hours Saturday at the  in Shakopee.

Setting this plan apart from other proposals to date—no taxpayer money would be required. The project, estimated by Merrifield at $920 million—the lowest cost of any proposal on the table —would be funded through a combination of revenue from a new racino, $200 million from the team and a matching loan from the National Football League, along with fan and user fees.

Find out what's happening in Shakopeewith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Perhaps the most important piece also appears the most elusive—that of the team's interest in coming to Shakopee.

In an email to Patch, Vikings Corporate Communications Director Jeff Anderson said the team hadn't seen the Shakopee plan, but that it appreciates efforts by Tabke and the Shakopee legislators to resolve the stadium issue.

"As we look for a stadium solution during the 2012 Legislative Session, our belief is that it is time to narrow sites down to one rather than add additional locations to the list," Anderson wrote. "Our focus remains on Arden Hills, the site we have analyzed for more than a year."

Still, on the surface, there appear to be a number of promising conditions for a stadium in Shakopee. The city already sees six million visitors each year at , , the Renaissance Festival and nearby  among other attractions.

The racino would bring slot machines to  and Running Aces Harness Park, near Forest Lake, MN. Merrifeld estimates the racino would account for a $45 million down payment and $29 million in revenue for the stadium per year.

The site has existing infrastructure, several access routes that would require only minimal additions and improvements, and no need for environmental cleanup, Tabke said. The property has one commercial building on it that was earmarked for ADC Telecommunications, although the company never moved in. Before that, it was farmland.

Flooding wouldn't be a concern, Beard said, although if constructed, the County Road 101 river crossing would need to be expanded to four lanes, which is a project already under study by the state for flood mitigation. The Highway 169 and Interstate 494 interchange is also already undergoing an overhaul.

Anderson, the attorney for the landowner, hatched the stadium idea and brought it to Tabke after realizing it fit all the criteria for a stadium—from roads to good soil to a public beach that could be used for ice skating, as shown in the rendering for the plan in Arden Hills.

Merrifield, a Shakopee resident, became involved after Tabke tweeted him wanting to know who he should talk to with the Vikings about the plan. On his LinkedIn page, Merrifield lists his current positions as a business development manager with a tech employment company called Experis and "founder/fan advocate" of SaveTheVikes.org. 

"The mayor has been the real key," Anderson said.

A racino bill has yet to pass in the legislature, although Beard and Robling said they would work to make it happen. Gov. Mark Dayton would also have to sign off on it. Robling said the legislature would likely address the stadium issue during its upcoming session, which starts Jan. 23.

"I've never had a preferred site, but now I do," Robling said.

Shakopee Chamber of Commerce President Angie Whitcomb said her phone was "ringing off the hook" with support Wednesday from other area chamber officials. Canterbury Park's Media Relations Manager Jeff Maday said Wednesday that Tabke has the support of Canterbury officials in his efforts.

"It could be a great fit, and it fits in with us," Maday said. "It seems like he's got some pieces to make it a viable possibility."


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

More from Shakopee