Vikings President Mark Wilf Looks To The Future
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) - For the last 10 years, the goal for Vikings owners was getting approval for a new stadium.
Lawmakers finally gave an approval to the $975 million deal on Thursday.
Now, the focus is on building it.
Vikings President Mark Wilf opened up about the stadium deal to WCCO.
"We're going to try to make it with as many elements as we can get to make it a top rated experience," said Wilf.
On Friday, Wilf revealed that some of the new elements will include a team store, a Vikings Hall of Fame museum, and restaurants.
But the design isn't set in stone. Add-ons, like a retractable roof, will still need to be priced and considered before they are added to the project.
"Devil's going to be in the details," said Wilf.
For the Vikings, the cost will be $50 million more than originally expected, bringing their portion of the stadium to $477 million.
"It's a big gulp moment, if you will, to put in that kind of investment here," said Wilf.
The turning point came from fans who pulled out the purple and gold in the off-season, while lawmakers debated the bill at the Capitol over the last several days.
"We can't be more appreciative of what they've meant in this process. They really made a difference," said Wilf.
The hope now is that a new home for the Vikings will make the difference during the regular season, which includes attracting or keeping players for a winning team.
"I think with free agents, it makes a difference to know where they're going, and not to who knows what," said Wilf.
Four years away from completion, and a new stadium is already providing stability for both the Vikings and their fans.
The Vikings will be looking for feedback on stadium designs over the next few months.
The new stadium will be more than just a home to the Vikings. Wilf said Friday that they are in talks to bring a professional soccer team back to Minnesota, which would also play in this new facility.
