Votes, support for Mpls casino to fund Vikes stadium?

Posted at 12:18 PM on October 24, 2011 by Paul Tosto
Filed under: Politics, Sport

It's worth repeating that publicly the Minnesota Vikings say they are completely focused on trying to win approval for a new football stadium in Arden Hills and are not trying to revisit plans to build in Minneapolis.

But that hasn't stopped Minneapolis officials who today expressed support for a stadium in Minneapolis -- and a casino at the Block E development that would help finance the stadium.

MPR News reporters Tim Nelson and Tom Scheck are following the meetings today between Gov. Mark Dayton, Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak and other officials.

Rybak told reporters he could support a Block E casino to fund a Vikings stadium and Minneapolis city council member Barbara Johnson said the council votes are there to back a casino, Nelson reports.

Rybak said he presented Dayton with a plan to reuse the Metrodome site, although the Vikings have called that a non-starter.

Still, it's a discussion that seems to be picking up steam, at least with folks outside the Vikings and Ramsey County offices.

UPDATE: Here's a link to the updated story by Scheck and Nelson.

Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak says he thinks a new Vikings stadium could be built in Minneapolis for less money than a proposed stadium in Arden Hills.

Rybak and Minneapolis City Council President Barb Johnson met privately with Gov. Mark Dayton Monday morning to discuss their plan for the stadium. The hour-long meeting covered potential sites including the Metrodome, the Farmer's Market, and a parcel of land near the Basilica of St. Mary.

But his support of any stadium plan for Minneapolis would only move forward if the deal includes a $150 million remodel of Target Center -- home to the NBA's Timberwolves.

Read the whole story here.

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