Skyways constitute a major public cost of the proposed development adjacent to the new Vikings stadium.
The public portion of the $400 million deal amounts to about $84.2 million (page 17). Most of that will fund a 1,600 stall parking ramp and a not-quite-two-block public park.
But about $10.3 million will pay for skyways to connect the entire development to downtown Minneapolis, using money from the Minnesota Sports Facilities Authority, which is overseeing construction of the stadium and helping fund the parking ramp.
The stadium legislation only required that the new parking ramp be connected via skyway:
"2,000 parking spaces within one block of the stadium, connected by skyway or tunnel to the stadium, and 500 parking spaces within two blocks of the stadium, with a dedicated walkway on game days"
Authority chair Michele Kelm-Helgen said the skyways will help attract major sporting events that garner significant economic revenue for the city and region. She has been in talks with the NCAA and people affiliated with the Superbowl.
"it's very clear that part of what's exciting people about our stadium is the fact that you could stay at hotels in the downtown core and be able to – in the winter, when most of these events take place – be able to walk through the skyways to get to the stadium," Kelm-Helgen said.
The term sheet (page 5) says that Ryan Cos. will build skyways connecting the city-owned Haaf parking ramp to one office tower, the two office towers, and the office tower to the new parking ramp. A final skyway would run from the parking lot to the stadium, though the MSFA could elect to have it designed and constructed by another company (see diagram).
