Eden Prairie would complain like crazy, They dont want a new river crossing for fear all the nitwit’s that live here, would move there.

Since we deal with fall flooding, the river crossings would need to be upgraded to accommodate 60,000+ fans. To get that funding, it would be a battle between the team, state, and local municipality, which we are currently witnessing in Arden Hills. The bottom line is that the state doesn’t have a lot of extra money laying around and this possible government shutdown only complicates matters.
Only if I had a magic wand to wave and just make everything better and return things back to “normal”…

If the new stadium were to be placed in Shakopee, then maybe we would get that new river crossing sooner than 2030, but Eden Prairie would complain about the noise, or wouldn’t they complain because its the Vikings?

Arden Hills is fine. If the stadium is going to take $1.00 of my taxes it can be built in California.

I just wish the new stadium would be in or near Shakopee. I think it would bring in big bucks in terms of development, and trade for shops and restaurants. It would also be a good fit for the tourism trade we already get for Valleyfair, Canterbury, etc. Sadly, the old town needs a lot of upgrading prior to and iniative to make anything that big happen.

I don’t have a problem with the location in Arden Hills for the new stadium. There’s plenty of land to bring tailgating back to the stadium, whereas it was very disbursed at the Dome. That is all part of the Sunday experience for fans. For anyone who has visited Lambeau Field, they bring the gameday experience to you. From the huge parking lot for tailgating to all the restaurants and amenities in the atrium area. For as much as I can’t stand the Packers, they do it right in Green Bay and that’s what every team should model after.
I can see why the Vikings chose Arden Hills over downtown Minneapolis. The Vikings didn’t want to lose money by playing in the smaller TCF Bank Stadium while the new stadium was being built on the Metrodome site. In pro sports, it’s all about the dollar. The Wilfs are real estate developers, and they see more opportunity with the land in Arden Hills to develop commercial properties.
Right now if this were a chess match, the progress of the new stadium is a stalemate. The state and team can’t decide who comes up with the $130 million funding for road improvements, and the state legislators are moving at a snail’s pace, and with all the issues on the table besides the stadium, we are facing a special session. One political analyst, David Schultz, gave this legislative session an “F” grade for their work at the Capitol and Rep. John Kriesel is frustrated with the slow progress. We are still a LONG ways away from a stadium deal finally being done. The NFL lockout only compounds the matter with the uncertainty of a regular season and how the next labor deal will affect the future of the league.