ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — The Minnesota Vikings are on the brink of getting a new stadium after the state Senate approved a plan that relies heavily on public financing.
Gov. Mark Dayton has said he’ll sign the measure, which makes Thursday’s Senate approval the final hurdle for the nearly $1 billion stadium. The House passed it overnight.
The team has been chasing a new stadium for nearly a decade. Dayton led the charge this year, fearing the team might leave the state if it didn’t get a replacement for the 30-year-old Metrodome.
Under the bill, the team’s future in Minnesota would be guaranteed for three decades.
The Vikings would pay 49 percent of construction costs. The public expense is high: $348 million for the state and $150 million for the city of Minneapolis.
