Vikings Stadium Miscellaneous Discussion

[MNdible]

I mean specifically MSP

My point was that I don't think our handling of our stadium situation was unusally bad (or unusually good). In fact, I'd say it was pretty usual -- typical of the general major league stadium racket, and especially typical of the abuse that small to mid market cities have faced when trying to play in that game.

The only thing unusual, I'd argue, is the presence of the Xcel and Target Centers, which we all know is due to parochialism between Minneapolis and St. Paul.

I'm not happy about it, but short of saying "We're Out!", I'm not sure how else you play this game.

[Avian]

The NFL is just like the Plumbing and Electrical unions. They keep changing the "standards" so that future upgrades are "required," thus keeping themselves in business.

[uptowncarag]

Both KC facilities have aged very gracefully.

Horrible location and no public transportation. Being surrounded by a ghetto doesn't make it a pleasant ride to and from the Country Club Plaza.

[Viktor Vaughn]

I'm not happy about it, but short of saying "We're Out!", I'm not sure how else you play this game.

And that's what makes it a racket. They'll keep abusing us until we refuse to play the play the game. At which time they can pay their own freight or leave the market, and we'll be just fine.

I have a hunch this socialist spectator sport madness is reaching its obscene zenith. In 3o years we won't be debating how to pay for a replacement stadium, we'll be debating how we could have been foolish enough to build them the first one.

[mullen]

oh the old pro sports is dying argument. people have been saying that for years.

Since the gladiators in the roman coliseum people have been coming together to watch events. it can be sport, music, whatever. even if the professional sports model changes drastically, which I don't think it will, there will still be these public arenas, these gathering spaces.

the fact of the matter is we love our sport, our public spectacle. even if football loses popularity, there will something else to take it's place. look a the growth of soccer around the globe. There's been a ton of new soccer stadiums built. Stadium building is a worldwide arms race of sorts. it combines the fervor of sport, to win, with civic pride.

[mattaudio]

I don't think it will go away because it's obviously a religion to so many people. But clearly we're being called to invest in increasingly-lavish facilities to keep up with the joneses primarily because the in-home experience keeps improving. Met Center worked well back when people listened to sports on a transistor radio while doing other stuff. It was an experience. Now, we need luxury boxes and museums and experiences to compete with large-screen HD enhanced-reality viewing with cheaper food and beer. At some point it will be much easier and cheaper to consider these stadiums to be what they are, TV studios.

[Viktor Vaughn]

I didn't say pro sports are dying. I'm talking about an end to the business model of extorting the public to subsidize very successful for-profit businesses. People are recognizing that a single-use building designed to one users specs is not a public facility.

Even people who paint their face purple at the thought of a new Viking stadium ought to recognize this business model is indefensible.

[mamundsen]

Vikings just posted on their website and Facebook that the design unveiling is a week from today. Is it telling that they chose to use the rendering with the big swoop rather than the many ripples?

http://www.vikings.com/news/article-1/V ... 5617e80974

(I have no idea what the nicknames are for the different designs)

[mullen]

it will be streamed live on the vikings site also.

[LRV Op Dude]

Public tickets available for unveiling of Vikings stadium design

About 200 tickets to the event will be available to the general public, the Minnesota Sports Facilities Authority said Monday.

The tickets, which are free, will be available on a first-come, first-serve basis beginning at 5 p.m. May 13 at Gate B of the Metrodome. Only one ticket will be distributed per person.

The unveiling, scheduled for 7 p.m., will take place several blocks away at the Guthrie’s 1,000-seat Wurtele Thrust Stage.

[Jfuss]

Here is the image the Vikings have posted for the link to the stadium unveiling link.

[min-chi-cbus]

I see there will be a football field in the middle -- very interesting indeed!

Also, no upper deck? Is this going to look like a superfied Big House (Michigan) or Notre Dame? Whatever they build, and no matter how it looks, I hope it is damn LOUD!

[Rich]

We know from the EIS that the building is likely to have long, sloping, angular facets. This image seems to confirm "angular". There's also an asymmetrical footprint. And the concourse looks much bigger than the Metrodome's.

[TWA]

I see there will be a football field in the middle -- very interesting indeed!

Also, no upper deck? Is this going to look like a superfied Big House (Michigan) or Notre Dame? Whatever they build, and no matter how it looks, I hope it is damn LOUD!

I would assume they have to have an upper deck at least on part of it- maybe on 3 sides? Very odd indeed though, the more and more i see/hear about it I think this will be a completely one-off design

[go4guy]

This is just the lower level bowl and concession sketch. There will be 4 or 5 additional similar sketches for each level of seating. I assume there will be a club level, suite level, and upper general seating level. They will all have their own sketch similar to this. From the suggest configuration, the right side of the sketch above will probably be level with the plaza and will be open to a view of downtown. All other levels I mentioned will more than likely be on the other 3 sides.

[Drizzay]

I'm giddy! Sharp angles, lots of glass, and green space in the plaza and around the stadium are my only outside requests.

[minnyapple]

MinnPost has a good read about the stadium and possible developments around the stadium.

A couple early highlights of the article are

When plans for the Vikings football stadium are unveiled Monday evening, expect to see “a modernistic” stadium with a fixed roof, but sliding panels at each end of the stadium that can be opened to give fans “an outdoor feel.”

According to one source, Wells Fargo has a plan to build two towers near the stadium with about 1 million square feet of space. Some of that space would be for its expanded mortgage operations.

Apartments and green space also would be part of the Wells Fargo development.



Here is the full article: http://www.minnpost.com/politics-policy ... tdoor-feel


If this really is the case and we'll have to wait until Monday night to officially see it. I personally wouldn't mind sliding panels on the sides of the stadium to open it up. I think it would look better to have a glass fixed roof (like the mall of america has in the amusement park) to let sunshine in instead of a big grey retractable monster of a roof with beams that would most likely be closed most of the time anyways.

[spearson]

Would love to see that Wells Fargo plan!

[Didier]

Can't remember if we've seen this view yet or not.

[Didier]

Also of note from the Minnpost story:

Rybak and other sources said they believe the idea of sliding panels at each end of the stadium are more cost-effective than a retractable roof.

I had been assuming there would be one big window on the west side with a horseshoe-esque seating bowl to the east, but this sounds like maybe not?