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Nancy Lebens
St. Paul, Minn.

Vikings official says extending Metrodome lease won't play

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Vikings vice president Lester Bagley says the team will fight against the Metropolitan Sports Facilities' new interpretation of the Metrodome lease, in which they say that the team has to play in the facility through next year.

Bagley, speaking on Twin Cities Public Television's "Almanac" program Friday night, said the move to extend the lease because the Vikings couldn't play in the stadium after the roof collapsed in a blizzard last year defies common sense.

"The roof was worn out and they knew it. We had a big snowstorm in Minnesota, which happens. But the bottom line you know, from legal perspective, we have, we're on solid footing," he said. "The lease expires after this football season and there's no point in further delaying this discussion."

The Vikings continue to insist the best site is in Arden Hills.

Ramsey County officials said Thursday they had an agreement with the federal government to purchase the old Army Ammunition site, which Bagley said makes locating the $1.1 billion stadium at Arden Hills more likely.

"The governor has talked about you know we can't go down a path and have it collapse. And the governor has kept the back door open for a Plan B. But as far as we're concerned it is the best site, the ideal site and we are trying to make it happen there," Bagley said.

Bagley added he was encouraged that legislative leaders and the governor are still talking about ways to pay for the public portion of the stadium costs, estimated to be about $650 million.