The Fix Is In

Last May, I predicted that the new home of the Minnesota Vikings would be the old home of the Minnesota Vikings: The Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome, a.k.a. Mall of America Field.  I may even be right, for Governor Mark Dayton now says that it's the only workable solution, at least in the 2012 Legislative sense.

Gov. Mark Dayton told the Minnesota Vikings on Monday that the only workable site this year for a new stadium is the Metrodome, apparently bringing the team's long search for a new home back to where it started.

"The governor spoke to Mr. Zygi Wilf this afternoon and told him that if we are going to get a stadium bill passed this year, it will have to be at the Metrodome site," said the governor's spokeswoman, Katharine Tinucci.

I came to this conclusion after watching public transit wag the stadium subsidy dog, shoe-horning Target Field in what otherwise was an inadequate, inferior location.  Yes, it proved to be a remarkably good result, but all the credit for that goes to the architects whom I hope got the professional recognition they deserve.

The only merit this site had, adjoining the garbage burner, adjoining the high crime Block E area, was transit, the obvious confluence of the Hiawatha Light Rail and Northstar Commuter Rail.  The Central Corridor Line under construction will also originate here, sharing five stops including the Metrodome station before veering east to the University of Minnesota.  And the proposed Southwest Corridor Line will terminate here as well, entering from the north.

No doubt the appropriate switching will also be installed to let the Southwest trains flow through to the Metrodome station on game days, avoiding the need to switch trains.  They can then turn around in the switch yard maintenance facility just beyond the Metrodome on the Hiawatha Line.  Of course you'll have to plan on leaving at least two hours early because as one traffic engineer has already predicted, these trains won't run on time.

The alternate downtown sites near the Basilica of St. Mary's and the Farmer's Market would be along the Southwest Corridor Route but otherwise not fit the transit dream that the Metrodome site does.  The dome site is much cheaper, especially if just remodeled, not rebuilt.  Plus, that doesn't leave an empty site behind and it gives Minneapolis Mayor Rybak at least the opportunity to slide in some pork, like a Target Center remodel.

You heard Metropolitan Council Chair Susan Haigh yesterday.  Light Rail will fix everything, not just transportation.  The fix is in and the sooner the Vikings get on board, the sooner the new subsidies will flow to all concerned.

Comments

[The Big Stink]

I heard today that Zygi has changed his tune from what was being said just yesterday. Evidently, cash must be changing hands. I read on another blog that all light rail lines are losing and will lose >12M, each, annually - with no projections for EVER operating in the black. The Met Council, the DFL and governor are aware of these projections and, yet, they keep pushing choo choo trains as our guarantee against congestion and global warming/cooling/climate change (pick the crisis du jour).

At what point does the term "insanity" enter this debate?

[TJ Ronn]

Part of the deal should be to change the name from Minnesota Vikings to Minneapolis Vikings. Or, maybe even better, Morgan Mundane's (remember Steve Cannon?)bastardization, Viqueens.