The Minneapolis City Council's Zoning and Planning Committee on Thursday approved by consent a Stadium Implementation Plan crafted by a group comprised of neighborhood residents, businesses and local political leaders.

The 25-member committee was named about a year ago to make recommendations on how the $975 million Vikings stadium can blend into the eastern end of downtown Minneapolis.

Now the City Council will vote on the report's recommendation at a meeting Aug. 30.

A key task for the implementation committee was to determine how to integrate the giant structure into the neighborhoods surrounding it, including the Mill District, Elliot Park and the planned $400 million Downtown East development proposed by developer Ryan Cos. Its primary task was to establish design principles for the building, the plaza and the surrounding space and neighborhoods.
Some of the committee's recommendations included working with the city and Metro Transit to study how to mitigate congestion at the busy Downtown East light-rail station, figure out ways to create a bird-safe structure, and broaden the use of its environs to include the broader community.

Janet Moore covers commercial real estate for the Star Tribune.