Medtronic has secured the naming rights for the 3-acre plaza between the new Vikings stadium and the expected public park in downtown Minneapolis.
Terms of the 10-year partnership were not disclosed in Monday’s announcement, but the Star Tribune says the deal will bring high visibility to the medical device maker.
Medtronic Plaza is located adjacent to U.S. Bank Stadium’s pivoting glass doors – where an estimated 85 percent of fans will enter the stadium, a news release says. The plaza will provide a place for people to meet before and after games, as well as be a spot for concerts and other events throughout the year, the release notes.
“Medtronic was born and raised in Minnesota, and we are proud to be sponsoring this great new community asset for the Twin Cities,” Rob Clark, Medtronic’s vice president of corporate communications and corporate marketing, said in the news release. “Our sponsorship is a symbol of our continued commitment and presence in the state. Medtronic Plaza will be a gathering place available to the community 365 days a year. It also provides us an ideal backdrop for the Medtronic Twin Cities Marathon.”
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Plans for the plaza haven’t been revealed, but the Star Tribune says it will likely have a gradual slope to create a more pedestrian-friendly connection between the Commons park and the stadium. There have also been talks of the Vikings building a Vikings ship on the plaza, but those plans are preliminary, the paper notes.
The partnership also includes sponsorship of the Medtronic Club inside the stadium, which will showcase medical technology innovations invented in Minnesota, the release says.
Medtronic recently moved its headquarters from Fridley to Ireland.
