Vikings considering 4th stadium location near Metrodome

Mall of America Field
Mall of America Field and downtown Minneapolis, Minn. Sept. 28, 2011
MPR Photo/Jeffrey Thompson

The Minnesota Vikings say they're looking at yet another potential stadium site in downtown Minneapolis.

The site includes the blocks just east of the current Metrodome, said team Vice President Lester Bagley. This is the fourth location under consideration for the Vikings.

Building there would save the expense and time of moving the Vikings to the University of Minnesota's TCF Bank Stadium while a new stadium is built. The team could keep playing in the Metrodome.

"There are properties around the Dome that some have suggested could be acquired to put together for a stadium site," Bagley said. "We think its a little premature. Just because there are properties doesn't mean that we can do this. We would evaluate it, but we have not seen a viable proposal on an alternate Dome site."

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An Xcel Energy substation and a large business would have to be relocated, and the freeway entrances would need to be changed, he said.

It isn't clear how much clearing or acquiring the alternative site would add to the project cost, but Bagley said they looked at the site previously.

Stadium backers have also suggested a site near the Farmers Market, the Basilica of St. Mary and the present Metrodome site.

Gov. Mark Dayton said this week that he thinks rebuilding on the site of the current Metrodome is the only practical alternative this year.