Vikings' hope for stadium dashed for now

The Minnesota Vikings' hopes for a new stadium appeared dead as legislators late Wednesday instead moved closer to making a new ballpark for the Minnesota Twins a reality.

As midnight neared, a joint House-Senate committee seemed to find agreement on returning to a proposal to build a $522 million Twins stadium in downtown Minneapolis using a 0.15 percent sales-tax increase in Hennepin County. The plan, strongly supported by the team and House Republicans, would not require the county to hold a referendum before levying the tax.

However, Sen. Steve Kelley recommended that the Vikings' proposal for a stadium in Blaine be considered next year.

Kelley, DFL-Hopkins, had been the team's strongest advocate among conference committee members.

Lester Bagley, the Vikings' lead negotiator, said, "We're disappointed with the development. I hate to say it's over ... but for the session, we've still got a couple of ticks on the clock."

The evening's late-breaking events capped a day that included a flurry of activity.

There were closed-door negotiations at the State Capitol, a citizen protest at the home of a leading legislator and separate movement on a proposal to build a football stadium at the University of Minnesota.

Although Senate Democrats had pushed a plan that would use a metro-wide sales tax to build a Twins stadium, a Vikings stadium and provide millions of dollars for transit, the proposal seemed in danger of unraveling as House Republicans focused on the Twins.

In the Senate's revised position, the Twins and Vikings stadium plans would be joined by a 0.25 percent metro-wide sales tax increase for transit. While neither the Twins nor Vikings stadium plan would be subject to a referendum, the metro-wide sales tax would only move forward if all seven metro county boards approved it.

The Vikings, who two days earlier said they would not request state aid or a retractable roof for their proposed stadium in Blaine, ran a reverse Wednesday night, saying they needed $115 million from the state in the form of tax exemptions and proceeds from the sale of the Metrodome to pay for the roof. But the revised plan, which was greeted less than enthusiastically by a House-Senate conference committee, raised new concerns.

It was another whirlwind day for the Vikings, who have seemingly monopolized legislators' attention even as the clock is ticking on the session -- and on the stadium hopes for the Twins and Gophers.

Twins lead negotiator Jerry Bell tried to be diplomatic when asked about being pushed out of the limelight by the Vikings. "It seems to me at least several members of the conference committee are running out of patience," Bell said. The Vikings "have been forced to change their plans several times -- and that takes up the committee's time.

"Our plan is fairly simple. It's easy to understand. And it builds a ballpark."

The Vikings deal

The Vikings on Monday revealed a plan that did not call for a retractable roof -- shaving about $115 million off the $675 million proposed stadium. But Anoka County officials said it needed a roof so it could be a year-round facility.

The revised deal announced Wednesday calls for $280 million from the Vikings, $280 million from an Anoka County-only 0.75 percent sales tax (without a referendum) and the remaining $115 million from the state. The $115 million would come from the sale of the Dome, an exemption on property taxes in the 740-acre stadium development area, and user fees on tickets, food and beverages at home games.

But the plan was greeted coolly by some committee members.

It was suggested by committee co-chairman Rep. Brad Finstad, R-Comfrey, that the Vikings and Twins stadium proposals be placed on separate bills. To listen to Kelley, it sounded as if a Twins' stadium was nearly a done deal. "We are going to build a Twins ballpark in Minneapolis," he said.

A separate House-Senate conference committee began meeting to dissect a plan for a new University of Minnesota stadium. Though conferees ended the two-hour session expressing optimism, none of the project's major stumbling blocks -- over naming rights, a sports memorabilia tax or student fees -- was resolved.

Meanwhile, opponents continued their own pressure, picketing the home of a conference committee member for a second night.

"We're just sort of running out of options," said David Bicking, of Minneapolis, a Twins stadium opponent.