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St. Paul Mayor Gets Approval To Hire Firm To Help With Soccer Stadium Plan

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — St. Paul's mayor has received city council permission to hire a lobbying firm to seek law changes toward a new Minnesota United soccer stadium.

The city council approved a resolution Wednesday giving Mayor Chris Coleman the go-ahead to hire the Messerli and Kramer firm. A contract hasn't been signed yet. That firm had represented the soccer franchise until last week and was instrumental in winning passage of a Twins ballpark proposal years ago.

St. Paul is partnering with the team to build a stadium on a mostly empty parcel along Interstate 94. It's part of a deal to get Major League Soccer to grant Minnesota a franchise.

While the stadium construction itself will be privately financed, franchise owners are counting on future tax breaks that would require approval of the Legislature.

(© Copyright 2015 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

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