Mayor Rybak: Minneapolis Would Contribute $300M To New Stadium At Dome

Why do I have a feeling that after all the posturing and debating, the Vikings will end up with a new stadium right where the Dome sits now?

Minneapolis Mayor R. T. Rybak said Tuesday the city would contribute $300 million to a new Minnesota Vikings stadium built at the Metrodome, and that an enhanced fan experience would include using the nearby Minneapolis Armory as an “event space” on game days.

Rybak’s comments, coming on another day of high-profile stadium debate at the state Capitol, were made at a second Minnesota Senate hearing on a new Vikings stadium and how to finance it. The testimony also included officials from Ramsey County, where the Vikings want to build a $1.1 billion stadium in suburban Arden Hills.

But while Ramsey County officials said they were still working on a financing plan, Rybak was forceful in saying the city wanted to keep the team in the state’s largest city.

“We are prepared, with existing revenue streams, to put $300 million on the table,” said the mayor, who met with the Vikings on Monday and with Senate Republican leaders earlier Tuesday. “We do have the plan that will create all of the revenue options that are necessary for the Vikings.”

via Rybak: Mpls. would contribute $300M to new stadium at Dome | StarTribune.com.