Should Taxpayers Really Have To Pay For A New Viking Stadium?

The Minnesota Viking are putting forth a renewed campaign for a publicly financed stadium. We have construction started on another new baseball stadium and a new football stadium for the University of Minnesota.

How many new stadiums are enough? Below is a letter to the editor I wrote that was printed in the Duluth News Times in 2001. I think the facts presented in that letter should raise plenty of questions for taxpayers.


Printed in Duluth New Tribune - May 2001

Every day, the Twins and Vikings plea for a publicly financed stadium grows louder. History of professional sports stadiums in the Twin Cities has to be the most compelling reason why any new stadiums should be privately financed. In the last 46 years there have been 8 new stadiums built in the Twin Cities that are used for professional sports. Several renovations have been made to these stadiums.

Metropolitan Stadium and Midway Stadium were built for the Minneapolis Millers and St. Paul Saints. When the Twins and Vikings came on the scene, Metropolitan Stadium was renovated to bring the stadium up to major league standards. The Metro Dome was built for the Twins and Vikings, and the new Midway Stadium is used by the St. Paul Saints of the Northern League.

The Met Center was built for the Minnesota North Stars; major construction was done on the St.Paul Civic Center for the St. Paul Fighting Saints of the old World Hockey League; and the Excel Center was built for the Minnesota Wild. The Met Center was renovated at least twice to increase seating capacity and the Civic Center once. The Target Center was built for the Minnesota Timberwolves.

The total comes to Four baseball/football stadiums, Three hockey stadiums and One basketball arena. During the time same period 6 stadiums (Lexington Park, Nicollet Park, the Met Center, and Metropolitan, Midway and Memorial Stadiums) have been torn down. Is there another metropolitan area in the world that has built 8 new stadiums in the same time frame?

Minnesota taxpayers should not have to build a new stadium every 6 years for Billionaire Owners and Millionaire players. Build them if they must, but do it with private funding!

L. M. LaCroix - Cloquet, MN