Gophers to return Outdoors too

[no97]

You're right, but even still...it would be just a waste of money, especially taxpayer money at that, to completely replace a 24-year sports facility where they can at least do a major overhaul.

Well, I don' know how familiar many of you are with what the Vikings are trying to build, but it's a heck of a lot more than just a football stadium... See Minnesota Momentum.com for details, specifically noting the first faq item:

Minnesota Vikings Northern Lights Stadium Developmentsm ? Minnesota?s Sports, Retail & Entertainment Center is an important economic development project that will include a new stadium, shops, restaurants, entertainment, offices, space for small businesses, residential housing, a hotel, a medical center and 260 acres of preserved wetlands and trails.  The project site is in Blaine, which is in Anoka County.

No matter what you do to the Metrodome, you can't get all that for a state contribution of $115 million (which would be mostly to accelerate off site improvements of nearby I-35W), and an 3/4% Anoka County sales tax...

Plus, the most recent overhauls of existing stadiums (Soldier Field and Lambeau Field) cost $587 million and $295 million respectivly... Those were at least worth saving, Is the Metrodome worth putting at least $300 million into?

Moose

[no97]

I just saw this item on GopherSports.com:

Three finalists to design the proposed on-campus football stadium will make public presentations May 24. Public presentations will be in the Rapson Hall Auditorium.

1:15-2:15 pm: HNTB Architects

2:15-3:00 pm: Crawford Architects

3:30-4:15 pm: HOK Architects

Each firm will be asked to present their qualifications and team, provide an overview of their firm, highlight past projects and experience, and talk about their approach to our project. Firms will not be showing images or pictures of what the new stadium will look like if their firm is selected.

(my emphasis added)

Therefore, it will likely look nothing like this:

the artist rendering that's been going around for the last few months...

Moose

[no97]

For those that are familiar and can't picture where the football stadium is going to go, or those that don't know anything about the U of Minn campus, here's a labled photo of where the stadium will go. Even if this isn't the design, it is the location...

The only disadvantage is that it takes up a large parking lot, which could have been used for tailgating, and parking sucks as it is... I do like how the Football, Basketball and Hockey buildings are all within yards of each other though...

Moose

[logodawg]

^ Good because that looks like crap.

[-kj]

2. Instead of a third stadium for the Vikes, rehab the Metrodome. Gut it and redo the inside to add a few more seats, luxury boxes and better seating angles. Maybe even remove the roof and put up a retractable one. Of course, this could only be done after the U-Minn stadium is finished; the Vikings would have to play there for a year or two.

I agree with that, and I know the city of Minneapolis doesn't want to lose out on the Final Four rotations if they got rid of the Metrodome. To me, it makes better sense to do a complete rehaul of the Dome.

They had one Final Four and one Super Bowl--14 years ago. Not exactly Indianapolis or Miami.

Final Four 2001 was also at the Dome. As have been many early rounds and regional finals.

[no97]

From what will be tomorrow's StarTribune, and the Sid Hartman column, info on both the possible update of the Metrodome instead of a new Vikings stadium, and his opinion on whether the Gophers should have moved back to campus...

Moose

[OnWis97]

2. Instead of a third stadium for the Vikes, rehab the Metrodome. Gut it and redo the inside to add a few more seats, luxury boxes and better seating angles. Maybe even remove the roof and put up a retractable one. Of course, this could only be done after the U-Minn stadium is finished; the Vikings would have to play there for a year or two.

I agree with that, and I know the city of Minneapolis doesn't want to lose out on the Final Four rotations if they got rid of the Metrodome. To me, it makes better sense to do a complete rehaul of the Dome.

They had one Final Four and one Super Bowl--14 years ago. Not exactly Indianapolis or Miami.

Final Four 2001 was also at the Dome. As have been many early rounds and regional finals.

D'oh! I forgot that they had another final four.

The place is still a hole, though.

[dfwabel]

The University selected HOK+Sport for the project.

HOK+Sport selected for U Minnesota Stadium

I just wonder who the other two candidates were. I will assume Ellerbee Beckett was one.

[no97]

The University selected HOK+Sport for the project.

HOK+Sport selected for U Minnesota Stadium

I just wonder who the other two candidates were. I will assume Ellerbee Beckett was one.

Nope, note one of my earlier posts, and the other two were HNTB Architects and Crawford Architects.

Moose

[no97]

I'm bring this thread back up, because as I was looking at the Gophers web-site today, I found the TCF Bank Stadium web-site, and specifically, the construction update page. One of my concerns about the project was that they were taking a site that was essentially a parking lot, and plopping down a football stadium... I even stated that in one of my previous posts:

The only disadvantage (of the location) is that it takes up a large parking lot, which could have been used for tailgating, and parking sucks as it is.

The construction update page, however, details how the prep work leading up to the actual stadium construction will increase parking in that area, from 3,008 spots to 3,203 spots. Still not enough for a 50,000 seat stadium (IMHO), but at least they aren't decreasing parking...

Moose