When plans to build a new Vikings stadium took shape in the Legislature this session, the site of the current stadium stood out as the best location. The Metrodome site would be less expensive and would let us use public infrastructure investments in things like freeway access, transit and water and sewer improvements. But these benefits were not what motivated me to get Minneapolis to the negotiation table.I saw the potential for a deal that could offer residents real solutions to pressing financial challenges, while lowering costs to keep the Vikings in Minnesota and improve the state's venues for pro sports, conventions, entertainment and other revenue-generating events.

The deal approved by the Legislature delivers on that, securing the future of important public facilities while taking some of the burden off Minneapolis taxpayers.

There are no new taxes here. We'll use existing food, liquor, lodging and sales taxes that, until recently, could only pay for expenses tied to the Minneapolis Convention Center. Along with being able to put this money toward a new Vikings stadium, the deal will let us use these funds to renovate Target Center so it can be a competitive destination for the coming years. This will effectively lift the financial burden of Target Center off property taxpayers, who have been shouldering it since the 1990s. Target Center funding will now come, in part, from our special sales taxes and not from the people who own homes and businesses in Minneapolis.

You may not know it, but the Vikings currently have an exemption from entertainment taxes at the Metrodome. We don't get a penny of this tax from any of the tickets. We've changed that through the stadium deal. Vikings tickets in the new facility will now be subject to this tax, just as tickets to Twins and Timberwolves games are. Not only is this fair, it could mean an extra $2 million or more a year for the city -- money that could be used for paving streets and public safety.

The Convention Center taxes are controlled by the Legislature. At any time, lawmakers could have redirected this money to state coffers or eliminated these taxes altogether. There have been discussions at the Capitol to do just that. Not anymore. The stadium deal keeps this funding source around until at least 2047.

That's important because it ensures our ability to invest in the Convention Center and Target Center, making them competitive in attracting more and bigger events, which in turn generate more tax dollars for the city and state. Visitors who head to a Vikings or Timberwolves game, or for an event at the Convention Center, will be among those who help pay for the facilities. That seems appropriate.

Let me also stress that, while the Vikings will pay nearly half of the construction costs and most of the ongoing costs, the stadium will be publicly owned and the community will use it for most of the year. Civic and amateur sports leagues will be able to use the state-of-the-art facility for low or reduced rates. High school football playoffs, which now take place in the Metrodome, will be able to use the new stadium for virtually no cost.

And let's not forget jobs. Stadium construction alone would bring in around 13,000 new jobs, with more jobs coming once the stadium opens its doors. There are training and recruitment requirements that favor minority applicants and people from lower income areas, good news for some of our most disadvantaged communities.

Overall, the deal increases Minneapolis' competitive edge. A Vikings stadium makes us a top contender to host an upcoming Super Bowl and an NCAA Final Four tournament. There will be an opportunity to bring major league soccer to town as well. This national spotlight helps build our reputation as a world-class city that is a premier destination for travel and a great place to live and work.

As elected officials, our job is to make Minneapolis as safe, economically vibrant, financially sound and competitive as possible. This deal delivers on all those fronts.

Barbara Johnson is president of the Minneapolis City Council.