Gov. Mark Dayton on Monday signed the bill that will give the Minnesota Vikings a new stadium, effectively keeping the team in Minneapolis long term.
"I'm proud of those who stepped forward and said, 'This is what makes Minnesota special'," Dayton said with Vikings owner Zygi Wilf and Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak looking on, according to the Star Tribune.
NFL spokesman Greg Aiello congratulated the Vikings and their fans on the new stadium on Twitter.
Congrats to Vikings, their fans, and the leadership & people of Minnesota. It looks like a great new stadium is on the way. #letsbuildit
â Greg Aiello (@gregaiello) May 14, 2012
The stadium bill passed through bruising sessions in the Minnesota Legislature as several lawmakers balked at the amount the state would fund the $975 million stadium.
The Vikings will pay $477 million of the construction costs, which is $50 million more than owners initially committed. The state will pay $348 million and the city of Minneapolis $150 million.
Dayton has been one of the biggest cheerleaders for the stadium, which won final legislative approval last week after years of failed attempts.
"These bills, that involve major public investments, are understandably controversial," said Dayton. "They're hotly debated. They're closely inspected â- as they should be. That's democracy, and that's Minnesota."
The stadium will be located at the site of the Metrodome in downtown Minneapolis. The team will play at the University of Minnesota's TCF Bank Stadium while the new stadium is under construction, which the team hopes will only be for the 2015 season. A target date for completion is 2016.
The legislation commits the state to raising its portion of the funding by allowing electronic pull-tabs and bingo in bars and restaurants. There are also backup funding measures such as a lottery game and luxury suite taxes.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.























