Minnesota Governor Mark Dayton to sign Vikings stadium bill into law on Monday - NFL News
Minnesota Vikings have waited years for the approval to build a new stadium for the team and their efforts will reach its long awaited conclusion on Monday when Minnesota governor, Mark Dayton will sign the final stadium bill into law.
Dayton is one of the biggest champions for the development of the new stadium and has used all his influence to coax the lawmakers to support a state sponsored subsidy for the $ 975 million stadium.
There is no doubt that the governor will sign the bill and a ceremony has been planned to be attended by lawmakers and team officials where they will witness the governor signing the bill.
Monday will be one of the most important days in the Vikings franchise history as they finally can look forward to a new stadium built for the team.
Vikings owners, Zygi and Mark Wilf have long called on the state to partially fund a new stadium since the revenues from the current Metrodome Stadium are insufficient to keep the franchise competitive against its rivals.
The franchise gained more leverage this offseason after their lease for the Metrodome came to an end which in turn led to an increased sense of urgency in the legislature to agree on a funding bill.
On Thursday a final bill was approved by the legislature which asked the Vikings to provide $ 50 million more towards the stadium than their initial agreed contribution.
This takes the Vikings contribution to $ 477 million while the rest of the funds are to be paid by the state and city council.
The State will fund its $ 348 million contribution through an increase in gambling while the city council will divert a hospitality tax to pay its share of the stadium.
Construction on the new stadium is set to be completed by 2016. The Vikings will play the current 2012-13 season at the Metrodome and will shift to the University of Minnesota’s TCF Stadium for at least one or two years.
The signing of the bill will be music to the ears of Vikings fans who have long feared the franchise moving out of the state if a new stadium was not subsidised by the government.
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