Opat: Do not expect Hennepin County help for Vikings stadium

By KEVIN DUCHSCHERE

Today is Gov. Mark Dayton's deadline day for Minnesota Vikings stadium plans. One was submitted Wednesday, a surprise last-minute entry from Shakopee. Others expected today will come from Ramsey County, which has worked with the Vikings on a proposed stadium in Arden Hills, and Minneapolis, which is promoting a new stadium where the Metrodome stands.

The local government most responsible for the Minnesota Twins ballpark, Hennepin County, won't be among the contestants for the football prize, County Board Chair Mike Opat confirmed Wednesday.

Opat engineered the county's efforts to finance and build Target Field, but he said that he has no plans – not yet, anyway -- to gun for the Vikings stadium.

It's the same position he's held for eight months, since he announced last May that Hennepin County wouldn't be pursuing a stadium deal. At the time he cited budget tightening, legislative ambivalence and lack of time as reasons to step down from the chase.

"I keep an eye on the sites and continue to support the Farmers' Market site" in Minneapolis, Opat said, adding that he continues to oppose the Metrodome site as unpromising for future development.

But he said that "there's still no identified state money." Several possible funding mechanisms have been proposed, but there's some question as to whether they would produce the revenue promised.

Jeremy Hanson Willis, Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak's chief of staff, said city officials were resigned to not getting financial help from the county. "We would love it if they did. But we're not expecting that," he said. "They've had many opportunities, but I just don't think it's going to happen."

Opat said he thought that Minneapolis city officials and business leaders were willing to support a reasonable stadium financing plan, but that there will probably have to be unanimity on a particular site to make it work.
"There will be plenty of folks that will criticize any fissure in support, so I do think it's important to have one site and one plan," he said.