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Dayton Gets 9 Stadium Proposals -- With Different Ideas

ST. PAUL (WCCO) -- Gov. Mark Dayton asked Minnesotans for stadium ideas -- and that's exactly what he got.

In fact, if an iconic Minnesota stadium is what you want, Rober Roscoe's your man.

The Minneapolis architect and preservation expert designed a retractable roof stadium in the shape of a truck topper -- on wheeled sawhorses.

"You can make a huge camper stadium cover in the form of a camper top, and put it on sawhorses," said Roscoe, who insists he is serious. "That's on wheels on rails so you can roll it back and forth depending on the weather."

That's not all. The materials come from the Midwest-based home store Menard's.

Roscoe envisions the roof getting pulled on and off by giant tow trucks from Bobby and Steve's Auto World.

"They work by the hour," said Roscoe.
 
But that's nothing compared to David Sweet's "iDome." Yes, the iDome.

"Right now, there is an iDome speaker that's trademarked," said Sweet. "But this is a different category. This is a building. It will have T-shirts and things like that."  

Sweet, a comedy writer and inventor, is serious. He's trademarked a stadium with a fixed roof in the shape of an iPad. In fact, it would be the world's largest iPad.

With with lighted adverstising visible from above, and world class television production studios for use in the off-season.

"Obviously, this would be a huge advantage for the vikings, to get world wide attention on the team. And it would be a world wide tourist attraction," he said.

Dayton's office got a total of nine stadium proposals, including unique financing packages.

One Minnesotan offered to pay the billion dollar cost himself, if the stadium is at the University of Minnesota farm campus.

Another sees the Vikings on the empty parking lot at the Mall of America.

None of the stadium designers have yet heard back from the Governor's office.

Roscoe, however, says he's certain his truck topper design resonates with more Minnesotans than a $1 billion pigskin palace.

"That may be more Minnesotan than just about anything," he said.

Roscoe's Topper Dome would cost about $300,000, which is almost a billion dollars less than some other stadium plans.

Check out the proposals below:

Ramsey
Minneapolis
iDome 1, iDome 2
Shakopee
Topper Dome
Bloomington MOA and Stadium
Eagan Gaming Proposal
U Of M Farming Area
Vikings Card

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