Of the many laws passed and signed this recent Minnesota legislative session, one contained a provision to forgive some $27 million in debt for the city of St. Paul.
Now that Gov. Mark Dayton has signed the bill, KSTP-TV reports, the money will instead be used to give the Xcel Energy Center a makeover.
Channel 5 reports that lawmakers had directed that money to go into the X rather than the state’s general fund.
Citing “some” that think the 13-year-old Xcel “outdated,” the station says all 18,000 seats will be replaced, and there are hopes for new hi-def scoreboards and ribbon boards. (The Minnesota Wild, in case you’re wondering, pay $8 million a year to rent the joint.)
There are also plans for more escalators and expanded gates, but, as the station notes, nothing will be put in motion until next year.
