Opinion editor's note: Editorials represent the opinions of the Star Tribune Editorial Board, which operates independently from the newsroom.
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A chilly morning stroll around U.S. Bank Stadium in downtown Minneapolis clarifies two things: First, a permanent security fence would be an improvement; second, odds are that most people won't notice it. The scale of the building is so immense that tasteful fencing would attract no more attention than, say, a tattoo on a whale — incongruous, maybe, but hardly disfiguring.
By contrast, the ramshackle succession of chain-link barriers now in place, leaning this way and that, looks trashy. It would be more suitable to prevent trespassers at a construction site — or, better still, a demolition site — than to serve as part of a major sports stadium's security infrastructure.
The inadequacy of the existing fence goes beyond aesthetics. Speaking to an editorial writer this week, Vikings Vice President Lester Bagley noted that the current fence "is not a secure perimeter." As such, he said, it doesn't fit with the team's priority of keeping its fans safe.
"Safety and security is paramount," he said.
The Vikings organization has long advocated for a permanent fence like the one now sought by the Minnesota Sports Facilities Authority, which approved initial steps last week. The Department of Homeland Security has urged such a fence, an important consideration because the stadium's federal protection from certain kinds of liability depends on Homeland's approval.
For its part, the facilities authority said its goals for the "potential perimeter project" include "enhanced public safety, preservation of public access, and inclusion of public art." Those objectives strike us as appropriate and necessary. Ideally, the new fence should appear to visitors as a sign of safety and welcome, signaling that they will be relatively secure inside its gates.
