MINNEAPOLIS—Another big step was taken this week in the transformation of downtown Minneapolis, which has recently seen a great deal of commercial development. The Minnesota Sports Facilities Authority and the Minnesota Vikings, in partnership with Mortenson Construction and project associate Thor Construction, held a ceremonial groundbreaking on the new $975 million multi-purpose stadium that will replace the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome. The partners plan to complete the 65,000 seat, 1.7-million-square-foot facility in July 2016.
“We are proud to be here today to officially break ground for one of the most iconic stadiums in the country,” said Michele Kelm-Helgen, chair of the MSFA. “We set out to design a stadium that can accommodate all kinds of events, from high school and collegiate football, soccer and baseball, professional football, to community events, conventions and concerts. After a lot of hard work, we succeeded. I'd like to thank all of our partners, the Vikings organization, HKS and Mortenson Construction for getting us all here today.”
Designed by sports architectural firm HKS Sport & Entertainment Group, the stadium will have the largest transparent roof in the nation, and operable doors that open to a three-acre plaza and the downtown skyline. Along with the Vikings, officials said the facility will also host many other events, such as NCAA tournaments, BCS Championships, a Super Bowl, high school and collegiate sports, conventions, community events and concerts.
The stadium deal has spurred other development proposals for the neighborhood. The local development firm Ryan Cos., and the MSFA are in the process of getting approval for a $400-million mixed-use project they hope to build near the new stadium. The project should include office, residential and retail space within a city park on the current site of the Metrodome.
“This is a monumental day for the Vikings, our fans, and the entire State of Minnesota,” said Vikings Owner/President Mark Wilf. “We are grateful for the hundreds of hours of hard work that have been committed to this project by so many people. Today we have a chance to celebrate putting thousands of people back to work in building one of the best facilities in the world.”
Continue Reading for Free
Register and gain access to:
- Breaking commercial real estate news and analysis, on-site and via our newsletters and custom alerts
- Educational webcasts, white papers, and ebooks from industry thought leaders
- Critical coverage of the property casualty insurance and financial advisory markets on our other ALM sites, PropertyCasualty360 and ThinkAdvisor
Already have an account? Sign In Now
© 2024 ALM Global, LLC, All Rights Reserved. Request academic re-use from www.copyright.com. All other uses, submit a request to [email protected]. For more information visit Asset & Logo Licensing.
Brian J. Rogal
Brian J. Rogal is a Chicago-based freelance writer with years of experience as an investigative reporter and editor, most notably at The Chicago Reporter, where he concentrated on housing issues. He also has written extensively on alternative energy and the payments card industry for national trade publications.
