Wilf's remarks on downtown stadium site roil 'partners'

Four days before a critical set of local elections, tensions erupted between the Minnesota Vikings and Anoka County, the team's partner in building a stadium proposed for a site in Blaine.

After Vikings owner Zygi Wilf was quoted as saying that he was "looking hard" at building the stadium in downtown Minneapolis -- a statement the team said Thursday was taken out of context -- a leading Anoka County official chastised the Vikings for "snooping around" Minneapolis while the stadium project in Blaine hung in the balance.

"Are we pleased with our partner that they're messing around talking to other people and getting everybody confused out here in Blaine and Anoka County about what they're up to? No," said Steve Novak, the county's lead stadium negotiator. "Is it stuff we've talked to them about personally? Yes. Do they listen and follow through with the suggestions? Usually not."

Novak's comments came as Lester Bagley, the Vikings' vice president for public affairs and stadium development, said an upcoming Anoka County report would likely show that the "hill's going to get steeper," meaning costlier, for building the 68,000-seat stadium in Blaine. In addition, both the Vikings and county officials continued to disagree over whether the stadium should feature a costly retractable roof.

On Tuesday, voters in Anoka County will select candidates who are running on whether a citizen referendum should be held before the county imposes a .75 percent sales tax countywide to raise $280 million for the project. Ever since the Vikings and the county unveiled plans a year ago for a $675 million stadium, county officials have faced mounting criticism over their desire to levy the sales tax without a referendum.

Meanwhile, the Vikings acknowledged that they have explored building a stadium near the Metrodome, or even on the same site. The team also confirmed last month that Wilf had a meeting with the publisher of the Star Tribune, which owns five blocks near the Metrodome, about a possible land sale.

Wilf's latest comments, made Wednesday to the Associated Press, seemed to stir emotions. Wilf said that the Vikings, once the Legislature convenes early next year, would assess "whether there's the potential to having a financial partner downtown." Bagley said Thursday that the story failed to quote Wilf as saying the team was still committed to Anoka County.

"There's no point in responding to comments like that, in the heat of the battle, five days before an election," Bagley said of Novak's reaction. "Anoka County is our partner." Although Novak also predicted the partnership would weather any emotional ups and downs, he said the Vikings needed to be committed to a specific site for the Legislature to approve the sales tax and grant an exemption to requiring a referendum. Novak also said that Anoka County -- and its $280 million commitment -- would be difficult to replace should the Vikings seek a stadium in downtown Minneapolis.

There were signs Thursday that Novak might be right.

Randy Johnson, the Hennepin County Board chair, said he doubted the county would be willing to help the Vikings financially. "It would not be a priority," said Johnson, who said he met with Wilf two months ago to discuss a variety of topics, including a stadium.

Johnson's remarks come as the state's most populous county prepares to levy a controversial .15 percent countywide sales tax to help fund a 42,000-seat ballpark for the Minnesota Twins, which is projected to cost $522 million. On another front, Wilf's desire for an open-air Vikings stadium continued to conflict with what Anoka County officials want. "Why can't we play outdoors?" Wilf said in an interview Wednesday. "In Minnesota people fish in January."

But county officials remain unconvinced. "A Vikings stadium in Minnesota, with our Minnesota weather, that does not have a roof is not major league," said Dan Erhart, an Anoka County commissioner.

The Vikings and the county appear not to have advanced beyond where they stood last spring -- a split that scuttled their stadium proposal at the Legislature. At a hearing at the State Capitol in May, the Vikings -- after publicly supporting a retractable-roofed stadium -- abruptly offered to build a roofless stadium in Blaine that would save taxpayers $115 million.

The Vikings ran a reverse a day later, agreeing to a retractable roof. But that came too late for legislators, who had committed to stadiums for the Twins and University of Minnesota football team.

"It can be done without a roof, but we don't support that," Novak said in an interview this week. "We're not building the stadium just for Zygi Wilf. I'm disappointed in his comments. The Vikings have not made this any easier."

Mike Kaszuba • 612-673-4388