[Speed Gibson,
Sunday April 29, 2007 at 10:05pm]
Vikings Stadium
Joe Soucheray might call this a link of sorts. Yesterday, we sat in our local high school auditorium to see our son and others going to the prom do the Grand March. I realized that our seats in this 1961 building are far more comfortable than those in the Metrodome.
Which in turn leads me to hte Minnesota Vikings, shopping again at the Legislature for a new stadium, this time in Minneapolis, on the Metrodome site. Why not just remodel the Dome, which after all, is a reasonable football venue.
No, the roof doesn't retract. So what? Hundreds of millions to open a roof for fewer than 10 games a year (included pre-season), given our climate? Playoffs? Forget it, far too cold.
No, you won't have any new suites. But at other new stadiums, suite space is being reclaimed because there are no longer enough well-heeled customers, usually corporations, to rent them. Sarbanes-Oxley and other scrutiny has seen to that. The Vikings won't find many buyers either, especially at the higher rents they will no doubt charge.
No, you won't have any related east side redevelopment. That was promised for the Metrodome, and it never happened. Fool me once ...
No, just remodel the dome. Put in some nice seats in the better sections, with cushions. Again, without 81 Twins games, they won't get much wear. Make them a little wider, and add another 4 plus inches of leg room. Cup holders, like a movie theater? Since you get fewer seats per square foot, charge a little more for these sections.
Go a little fancier, add some WiFi with game content available. It's still 80 percent cheaper. But as long as gullible "negociators" like Mike Opat are around, you can hardly blame the owner for holding out for largely public financing.
Which in turn leads me to hte Minnesota Vikings, shopping again at the Legislature for a new stadium, this time in Minneapolis, on the Metrodome site. Why not just remodel the Dome, which after all, is a reasonable football venue.
No, the roof doesn't retract. So what? Hundreds of millions to open a roof for fewer than 10 games a year (included pre-season), given our climate? Playoffs? Forget it, far too cold.
No, you won't have any new suites. But at other new stadiums, suite space is being reclaimed because there are no longer enough well-heeled customers, usually corporations, to rent them. Sarbanes-Oxley and other scrutiny has seen to that. The Vikings won't find many buyers either, especially at the higher rents they will no doubt charge.
No, you won't have any related east side redevelopment. That was promised for the Metrodome, and it never happened. Fool me once ...
No, just remodel the dome. Put in some nice seats in the better sections, with cushions. Again, without 81 Twins games, they won't get much wear. Make them a little wider, and add another 4 plus inches of leg room. Cup holders, like a movie theater? Since you get fewer seats per square foot, charge a little more for these sections.
Go a little fancier, add some WiFi with game content available. It's still 80 percent cheaper. But as long as gullible "negociators" like Mike Opat are around, you can hardly blame the owner for holding out for largely public financing.