The Minnesota Vikings hope to build a $675 million retractable-roof stadium in Blaine under an agreement the team has reached with Anoka County.
The plan would rely on nearly $400 million from taxpayers, according to sources with knowledge of the negotiations. But Anoka County residents wouldn't get the chance to vote on the sales tax
increase that would fund the county's portion of the cost. And state leaders, who will have final say on the project, reacted coolly Monday to news of the agreement.
Vikings owner Zygi Wilf and Anoka County officials will announce the deal and address specifics today at the National Sports Center in Blaine, near the proposed stadium site.
Sources said the Vikings would contribute $280 million, matching Anoka County's contribution, with the help of an NFL loan to be repaid with stadium proceeds. The county's sales tax likely would
be spread over 30 years.
That would leave $115 million in costs for the state, including roads and other infrastructure. Some projects already in the works would be speeded up, such as the widening of Interstate Hwy. 35W.
That's why Blaine can't be painted purple and gold just yet: The team and the county can't score without the state's portion and involvement.
Political pressure
A key aspect of the proposal - getting the state's permission to waive the state law requiring taxpayer approval of a sales tax increase - already had stadium opponents in a lather Monday.
Even if voters reject pro- stadium commissioners in the next election, that can't undo a deal already done, said Bruce Pomerantz of Taxpayers Against An Anoka County Vikings Stadium.
"I'm against supporting private enterprise with public monies," he said.
Legislators would still have to approve the county sales tax, even if Anoka County voters don't get that opportunity.
But Gov. Tim Pawlenty continued Monday to express caution about the Vikings proposal. He gave no clear signal as to whether he would push for a special session that would include stadium funding deals for the Minnesota Twins and the University of Minnesota Gophers football team, as well as the Vikings.
In a statement released by spokesman Brian McClung, Pawlenty said that while he appreciates and values the Vikings, he's occupied with providing relief to victims of Hurricane Katrina, reviewing
the state's emergency preparedness and overseeing the recent large deployment of Minnesota National Guard troops for possible duty in Iraq.
"The governor will be communicating with legislative leaders regarding stadiums and other issues shortly," McClung said. "We will evaluate the Vikings proposal in that context."
And Senate Majority Leader Dean Johnson, DFL-Willmar, who last week said he supported a pre-Thanksgiving special session to consider stadium proposals, seemed to have reservations Monday about the state's share of the cost in the latest Vikings proposal.
"All along the whole initial discussion had been pretty much absent state funds," he said. "I'm not going to say I'm cooler toward it, but we're going to have to take a second look at it."
`We feel good'
Wilf declined to comment until today's news conference. But Lester Bagley, the Vikings' vice president of public affairs and stadium development, said the team looks forward to working through the finance plan with Pawlenty and state leaders.
"We put a lot of energy into this, and we feel good about the product here. It's fair, it's responsible and we believe it should be addressed in a timely manner," Bagley said.
The Vikings recently have been meeting almost daily with a special Anoka County task force that includes former legislator Steve Novak, who is the county's stadium point man, as well as
finance officials and county commissioners.
In the meantime, Wilf has been personally involved in assembling the hundreds of acres needed for the stadium and an associated complex including two hotels, a medical center, shopping center, offices and townhomes.
Bagley said Wilf has been dealing with 15 to 20 property owners. He said the Vikings are at "various stages of acquiring property," but declined to say whether any purchase agreements have been reached.
One of the sticking points between the county and the Vikings has been the question of a retractable roof, which adds at least $100 million to the cost. Wilf has said he preferred an open-air venue for football, while the position of most county officials is that a roof raises the prospect of hosting other large-scale events.
Novak said details of the proposal - which will include parking, a practice facility and team headquarters - will be fully explained today. Commissioners and other county leaders met Monday with Wilf in a series of briefings.
Other stadium plans
It was unclear how having the Vikings, Twins and Gophers all with proposals before the Legislature would help - or hurt - any team's chances.
Mike Opat, the Hennepin County commissioner who has led the county's Twins proposal, said Monday that a Vikings stadium deal that anticipated state money would likely hurt the chances of all
three stadiums. The Twins proposal doesn't seek state money, and the Gophers plan would help a state institution. Neither aspect applies in the Vikings case.
"I think both the Gopher football stadium and the [Twins] ballpark have withstood the test of time," he added.
Hennepin County's proposal, while not seeking state money, also would ask state officials to waive the required referendum and authorize a 0.15 percent sales tax in the state's most populous
county to build a Twins stadium in downtown Minneapolis.
Opposition at the State Capitol to public funding of stadiums has by all accounts lessened from previous years. But there seems to be a "you go first" attitude toward the initiation of serious
negotiations leading to informal agreements and the calling of a special session before the Legislature reconvenes in March.
All four caucus leaders in the House and Senate have expressed at least an openness to consider one or more proposals. "Pawlenty expresses support for these deals but he declines to have any
discussions with legislative leaders. I've had people talking to his office since August and we keep getting told they are not ready," said House Minority Leader Matt Entenza, DFL-St. Paul.
Entenza does not unequivocally oppose the Vikings deal, however.

Senate Minority Leader Dick Day, who has said that a Vikings stadium should be considered if stadium deals are part of a special session, said the main obstacle is that most legislators simply
don't want the political risk of a special session. Majorities in both caucuses are opposed, he said.
"With all the stuff going on in the United States and the world right now, the last thing people want to talk about is building stadiums," said Day, R-Owatonna. "At this stage of the game I'd just as soon forget about it and wait until next year."
Staff writer Kevin Seifert contributed to this report.

The writers are at kduchschere@startribune.com,
rdsmith@startribune.com and mkaszuba@startribune.com.