Wilf accuses commission of avoiding stadium issue

Jerry Holt, Star Tribune

Vikings owner Zygi Wilf

The latest threat to raise Vikings' rent in the Dome is just another way to procrastinate, owner says.

By HERÓN MÁRQUEZ ESTRADA, Star Tribune

Last update: November 23, 2009 - 6:05 AM

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You would think that a 9-1 record and first place in their division might be enough to keep the Minnesota Vikings front office happy, especially after their 35-9 dismantling of the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday at the Metrodome.

But before the game, owner Zygi Wilf sounded anything but, especially when asked about the recent threat by his landlord, the Metropolitan Sports Facilities Commission, to raise his rent by $4 million a year if he didn't agree to a lease extension that would keep the team here for at least two years beyond the current 2011 expiration.

"We're working very hard to try to get everybody engaged," Wilf said. "We need to step up, get engaged and find solutions and not sit back and be afraid to tackle this issue."

The National Football League team has been playing free at the Dome since 2002 and has been seeking a new stadium even longer. The Vikings have made no secret of the fact that they will look elsewhere if the stadium is not on the way to being built by the time the lease expires.

But legislative and public support to build a nearly $1 billion stadium has been hard to come by, especially given the state's economy.

So the commission last week sought to buy some time by pressing the team to extend its lease.

The Vikings' initial reaction was anger, and Wilf expanded on that sentiment Sunday. "To try to avoid the issue ... like the commission did, is really punting when they should be really engaged in trying to find the way to solve this issue," Wilf said.

"I don't think there's any intent on the part of the commission to procrastinate," commission Chairman Roy Terwilliger said. "The commission is interested in moving as quickly as possible. The reason this came up is that the feeling was that the timing was going to be difficult next year" in the Legislature to get anything done.

Gov. Tim Pawlenty has long opposed using state money for a stadium for the Vikings. The Legislature, likewise, has been lukewarm in its response.

"We need to get people in the state Legislature and the governor and everyone involved," said Wilf, who didn't sound receptive to waiting three years for a stadium. "We need to deal with it now. Waiting is just a way for everyone to procrastinate, especially the commission."

Wilf also reiterated the Vikings' long-held belief that it is their time to get a new stadium, especially after pushing for stadiums for the Minnesota Twins and the University of Minnesota football team.

"We were asked at that time, maybe because we were new to the field or for whatever reason, that we should sit back and wait our turn," said Wilf. "They've gotten their ballparks ... that was the right thing to do. We just have to get over this hump right now and get everybody engaged so that we can really find a solution to getting the stadium built."

Judd Zulgad contributed to this report. Heron Marquez Estrada • 612-673-4280

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