ST. PAUL, Minn. -- Gov. Mark Dayton said Wednesday that a legislative vote on a Minnesota Vikings stadium package could be in jeopardy unless lingering questions are answered about all three main potential sites.
Dayton had been expected to state a clear site preference for the team's long-sought replacement to the Metrodome, choosing between two possible locations in downtown Minneapolis and one in suburban Ramsey County. Instead, the Democratic governor said all three plans as currently proposed are inadequate.
With momentum on the stadium push hard to come by, Dayton's comments appeared to muddle the issue further, though he expressed optimism that a deal could still come together soon.
"The longer it takes to finalize a proposal with a single site" as well as a definitive financing plan, Dayton said, "the less likely it is that a stadium will be approved by the Legislature in the upcoming session and, thus, this year."
The Legislature convenes for its 2012 session next week, and the fate of a new stadium is expected to dominate the attention of lawmakers. The Vikings' lease at the Metrodome has expired and team owners have said that 30-year-old facility is no longer profitable enough compared to other NFL facilities.
Copyright 2012 by The Associated Press
