There have been two different articles today about the proposed Vikings stadium. Both articles center around the retractable roof that Zygi Wilf wants for the new stadium.
The retractable roof in question costs about $30 million more than a fixed one. The extra cost was included in the $1.06 billion price tag of the stadium. In the original agreement, there was a provision to allow the roof to become fixed though Wilf has expressed a strong preference for a retractable roof. This would allow the Minnesota elements back into the Vikings’ home field yet have the ability to seal them out for other events.
To get the retractable roof, the Vikings have raised their contribution to the stadium from $407 million to $420 million.
Of note is this juicy piece of news about Major League Soccer:
“Although talks this week about a roof for the proposed stadium moved from retractable to fixed to reduce the cost, the Vikings would prefer a moving roof because Wilf wants to get a Major League Soccer franchise. None of the 18 MLS teams plays in a fixed-roof stadium.” (19 if you include Montreal next year).
It’s great to see Wilf continue to express his interest in bringing MLS to Minnesota. He’s smart enough to know that fans would love to see the beautiful game played in the sunshine while having the option to close the roof in case of heavy rain or snow. MLS Comissioner Don Garber has said that MLS fans need to ”become agnostic about the weather”. A roof would definitely help that cause here in Minnesota.
