According to a report on the paper's website, stadium negotiators on Wednesday dropped the cost of the $1 billion proposed project by nearly $200 million and the Vikings had upped their contribution from $407 million. Also part of a revised deal is a resolution on who would own and operate the Ramsey County facility.
The Star Tribune says an official announcement on an agreement could come later Wednesday.
Lester Bagley, Vikings vice president for public affairs and stadium development, said earlier this week that stadium negotiators were close and the project could be ready for state legislators to discuss as part of the state’s $5 billion budget deficit.
“I think we’re close enough so [if] we were advised to wrap it up, we could sit down and hammer out the final agreement,” he told the paper.
Despite a deal being close, a Vikings stadium deal wouldn't become official until the legislature comes together for special session and signs off on the plan. Minnesota is on the cusp of a government shutdown that would begin Friday and a special session hasn't been scheduled. Gov. Mark Dayton, who is a stadium supporter, said there is still a lot of ground to make up on a budget compromise in order to avert a shutdown.
The good news for Vikings fans, a stadium deal looks as good as done. The bad news, now the wait is on to make it official.
