Vikings, Wilf Family Commit Additional $19.5 Million; Total Team/Private Contribution Reaches $73.9 Million

At Friday morning's Minnesota Sports Facilities Authority Meeting, the board approved an additional $19.5 million commitment from the Vikings and the Wilf family to go into the overall stadium budget. The total team/private contribution now totals $551 million, or approximately 52 percent of the entire stadium budget. Since legislation of the new stadium passed in May 2012, the team/private additional contributions have now reached $74 million. 

This additional investment will go towards plaza enhancements, food service equipment, event level space build-outs for game day entertainment and staff, retractable seating upgrades and a Club Purple deck that overlooks downtown Minneapolis, enhancements will help ensure Vikings fans receive the best game day experience in a first-class facility, the primary goal since construction of the 64,000-seat stadium broke ground on December 3, 2013.

The current total budget of the new stadium project now sits at $1.061 million. The public contribution of this project remains capped at $498 million.

Minnesota Sports Facilities Authority and Minnesota Vikings Announce Legacy Bricks Program for the New Stadium

On Thursday, the Minnesota Sports Facilities Authority and Minnesota Vikings announced fans will be able to purchase custom-engraved bricks that will be located on the plaza west of the stadium near the iconic five pivoting doors.

Fans have the option to choose one of three bricks that will engraved by Minnesota-based Cold Spring Granite Company. Along with the permanently placed brick in the plaza, each brick will come along with a complimentary replica and an official certificate of ownership. 

Fans can visit www.vikings.com/bricks or call 844-MN-BRICK (844-662-7425) for more information on this unique opportunity.

Daktronics to Design, Manufacture and Install 18 LED Screens for New Stadium in Redwood Falls, Minn.

The MSFA and the Vikings have awarded the contract for 18 LED boards to be installed in the new stadium to Daktronics. While Daktronics is based out of South Dakota, the boards for the new stadium will be produced in the company's facility in Redwood Falls, Minn.

A total of 25,000 square feet of LED boards for the new stadium will be designed, manufactured and installed by Daktronics, including the video boards on the east and west sides of the stadium that are up to 13 times larger than the Metrodome's video boards.

The west end zone video board will serve as the focal video board in the stadium and have a main message board that is 68 feet high by 120 feet wide and will include 43 feet high by 15 feet wide wing displays on each side. The video board on the east side of the stadium will be a scaled version of the board on the west end zone and will have a main message board measuring 50 feet high by 88 feet wide with a wing board on each side measuring 25 feet high by 15 feet wide. These large video boards will provide fans with a clear image of game action, replays and in-game information. 

Progress Shown in Stadium Construction Equity Report

According to MSFA Equity Director Alex Tittle construction equity levels are not only being met but have even trended upward in the past month. 

Prior to the start of construction, established equity goals included 32 percent minorities and 6 percent women on the construction workforce, but Tittle reported on Friday that those goals continue to be outdone, with minorities currently representing 37 percent of the workforce and women representing 9 percent.

Another major point of emphasis in maintaining equity in the construction process is the inclusion of citizens of 16 targeted high poverty and highly unemployed zip codes located in Minneapolis. Currently, residents of those 16 zip codes have contributed 7 percent of the total work hours and those work hours have yielded $2.2 million by 118 workers.

Check out WCCO-TV’s recent piece highlighting women working on the stadium projected.

First Pieces of Stadium Glass Installed Earlier This Week

The first of roughly 8,500 glass units that will make up the exterior of the new stadium were installed earlier this week by Twin Cities-based contractor Egan Company/InterClad. Fabricated by Viracon in Owatonna, Minn., the glass will continued to be installed over the next six months.

The glass, which is one of the key design elements of this iconic stadium, will offer fans views of the Minneapolis skyline and will help make up the five of the world's largest pivoting doors that will open up the plaza on the west side of the stadium.

Mortenson Provides Construction Update at Monthly MSFA Board Meeting

The new stadium construction is over 45 percent complete and nearing the 50 percent mark heading into the 16th month of construction.

Since ground was broken on December 3, 2013, $450 million dollars of work has been put into the stadium construction efforts and over 1,000,000 hours of work has been dedicated to it. An additional 150 workers are currently on site, bringing the total number to over 900.

Work on the upper bowl precast seating remains taking place with over 45 percent of the work done on that. The entire upper bowl will be complete in July and construction on the lower bowl will begin in August. Starting in October, stadium seats will be installed where the current precast seating has been constructed.

The installation of the five iconic pivoting doors on the west side of the stadium has started with the first tier of steel columns being in place.

The primary ridge truss, or the spine of the structure, will decenter in July, meaning that the truss will stand on its own. Around that same time, the entire building will have permanent power and work will begin on finishing the installation of the first elevator. 

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