From the Minneapolis Star Tribune regarding the new request for public funding for a new Vikings stadium:
(New Vikings owner Zigi) Wilf’s announcement last week that he is planning a $675 million stadium in Blaine means that for the first time, three stadium proposals, totaling at least $1.28 billion, will be vying for public support and money at once.
Not only did Wilf stump for state support for his Blaine proposal, he also endorsed new homes for the Twins and the Gophers as necessary “projects that move the community forward.”
Apparently supporters for the Twins and Gophers haven’t exactly warmed to the idea of collective stumping:
But neither the Twins nor the Gophers appear eager to join hands with him. Some Twins and Gophers proponents are making it clear they think the Vikings should be at the back of the line for state and local public subsidies. Both teams had hoped for a special legislative session to address their stadium needs before the Vikings entered the fray.
What could be Zigi Wilf’s strategy here? My guess is that Wilf strategy is to drum up additional support for his project by showing support for the other two projects. There has been a lot of public resistance to each individual project over the years and some of the opponents to public funding argue that there’s not enough in the public coffers to fund one project, let alone three.
