The Minnesota Vikings will be staying put in their home city of Minneapolis as Gov. Mark Dayton officially gave the green light on Monday to the building of a new $975 million dollar stadium.
The Vikings franchise has hung in limbo since the aging roof of their current home, the Metrodome, collapsed under the weight of fallen snow in December 2010. Following the end of their prior lease at season's end, the team's future became quite murky. With the league actively looking to place an existing franchise in Los Angeles in the near future, Minnesota's football club was thought to be a prime candidate.
The move now nixes any possibility of relocation, as the Vikings are guaranteed to stay in Minnesota for the next three decades. Both Dayton and the State lawmakers approved the bill can breathe a sigh of relief.
"This is what makes Minnesota special." said Dayton after giving the agreement the OK.
But while Vikings owners Zigi and Mark Wilf may currently be celebrating along with the majority of the fan base, the new stadium was not warmly welcomed by all of Minneapolis-St. Paul.
Reportedly, citizens in attendance at the bill's signing let out multiple cries of disdain and frustration.
Similar to the opposition that the Giants and Jets faced when building what is now known as MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford New Jersey, the Vikings organization and Gov. Dayton are being criticized for forcing the state's taxpayers to cover approximately 50% of the costs.
Also, the Vikings will retain naming rights to the stadium instead of the state.
Dayton has argued against the oppositon, expressing his confidence that the venture will create a sizeable number of employment opportunities.
The new facilities will not necessarily include a roof. While no concrete plans have been made public at this time, it has been rumored that the Wilfs would like to help return the club to its outdoor roots.
For at least the 2015 season, the Vikings will play their home games at the University of Minnesota's TCF Bank Stadium. However, they could possibly be forced to vacate the Metrodome as early as 2013. It will cost them $3 million a year to use the University's facilities. The Vikings tentatively plan to kick off the 2016 campaign in their new home.