Mondale: Twins worked with 1-year Metrodome lease, so can Vikings

The chairman of the Metropolitan Sports Facilities Commission says he thinks the Minnesota Vikings will be playing in the Metrodome for at least two more seasons.

On MPR's Morning Edition Monday, Ted Mondale said he thinks a clause in their contract will force them to extend their lease by a year, because of the storm that damaged the dome and forced the team out last year.

But he also said that it is unlikely a move or a new stadium will take them from the dome before 2014.

"What will really happen is that we'll be discussing a renewal of the lease for 2012, probably 2013," Mondale said. "You know, with the Twins, the commission did a number of one-year contracts while they were working to get their new stadium, and I see a similar situation here. This is not a hostile situation, we are working cooperatively together, and this is something that's not going to reach that proportion at all."

Mondale said he thinks stadium negotiators will be back talking at the Capitol on Wednesday, adding that the talks aren't as likely to be as high-profile as last week, when lawmakers ruled out a potential November special session to deal with stadium funding proposals.

"I don't expect that we're going to have a breakthrough" with a date for a special session, he said. "But we're making progress, and we've narrowed down where we think we can get the consensus.

Mondale also says that he thinks changes to charitable gambling laws, such electronic pull tabs, seems to be gaining ground as a potential funding source for a new stadium.

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