Minnesota Vikings or St. Paul Vikings?

By Noah Anderson, Undergraduate Research Fellow, July 13, 2011 at 11:30 am

As workers inflate the Metrodome today, city councils across Ramsey County have been working to deflate the county’s financing plan for a proposed new Vikings Stadium.

St. Paul and Shoreview have already passed resolutions opposing a Ramsey County half-cent sales tax increase for the Vikings Stadium. As MPR reports, other cities are likely to follow, including Falcon Heights and White Bear Lake.

The message from these communities is clear: if this is to be a Minnesota stadium, then all of Minnesota should have a bigger part in funding it. The councils took this symbolic vote echoing comments from Mayor Chris Coleman, who favors a state tax of two cents per bottle of alcohol rather than a purely Ramsey County tax. This vote is non-binding, but represents a broader Ramsey County feeling.

But not everyone is against the tax, “including Arden Hills and Vadnais Heights, [which] have voted to support the plan,” MPR reports.

If you flashback to a few years ago when funding was being debated for Target Field, you may recall that a Hennepin County sales tax did pay for a large portion of the Twins' new home. However, a couple of things are different this time. Target Field cost a little more than $500 million, whereas at its cheapest, the Viking Stadium will cost $800 million, and could be as high as $1 billion.

Also consider the Twins offer economic impact generation for at least 81 dates. The Vikings Stadium would offer a minimum of only 10-12 dates.

Ramsey County and St. Paul shouldn't be asked to bear this big a funding protion, especially since St. Paul is facing cuts to state aid.

One thing that makes Minnesota great is that we tackle issues as a state. It's not just St. Paul or Minneapolis pitted against the rest of Minnesota.

Partly because of that, we name our teams for the state; we're not the Green Bay Packers or the Detroit Tigers, making Minnesota the only market hosting four major sports franchises doing so.

As far as I know, there are no plans to nix Minnesota in front of Vikings, to replace it with St. Paul; therefore, Ramsey County shouldn't bear such a high cost. If it's to be a stadium for the Minnesota Vikings, then all of Minnesota needs to chip in at a higher proportion to make it happen.

Posted in Economic Development | Related Topics: Minnesota Cities  Minneapolis / St Paul  Minnesota Sports  Sales Tax