While the state investigates its deal with the Minnesota Vikings for a new stadium, another sticking point has come up for the site itself.
The Star Tribune reports that the owner of a parcel near the Metrodome, Minneapolis Venture LLC, filed suit late Tuesday in Hennepin County District Court against the Minnesota Sports Facilities Authority, claiming that negotiations over the land next to the stadium site have been “perplexing and unproductive.”
What’s at stake here is parking – parking under the light rail transit station outside the Dome, who will own it and whether it will be swallowed by the stadium plans.
Minneapolis Venture purchased land from the city of Minneapolis in 2007, part of a $65 million deal that included five parking ramps, according to the Star Tribune. And the 455 parking stalls beneath the Downtown East plot are critical for the authority to control in order to meet a legislative mandate to provide 2,500 parking spots in proximity to the stadium.
Of course, aside from the $1 billion project, the parking also factors into a key proposal by Ryan Companies for a complete makeover of Downtown East, to the tune of $400 million, that the city council approved in July.
The parcels would also be affected by downtown street closures, which have already come under fire as unfeasible.
In somewhat related news, Minnesota Public Radio reports that the state has collected $30 million in a one-time tobacco tax, enough to cover the state’s debt on its first bond payment for the stadium.
