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Tim Nelson
St. Paul, Minn.

Vikings open to Metrodome site, but nothing decided yet

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Vikings owner Zygi Wilf
Vikings owner Zygi Wilf, right, tells the media he is open to a new stadium at the Metrodome site, but no decision has been made, Wednesday, Jan. 25, 2012 at the State Capitol. In the background are Gov. Mark Dayton, Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak and Rep. Morrie Lanning, left to right.
MPR Photo/Jennifer Simonson

The Minnesota Vikings and state officials met for nearly three hours Wednesday morning to talk over the prospects of a new stadium for the team.

Owner Zygi Wilf confirmed that they talked about the Metrodome site, after Gov. Mark Dayton ruled out another Minneapolis site and a bid from Arden Hills.

Wilf said the team is willing to listen to a plan keeping them on the east side of downtown Minneapolis.

"There's a lot of aspects involved, including how we would address the seasons that we would be playing at TCF [Bank Stadium]," Wilf said. "But we're making progress on getting to know the site much better."

State Rep. Morrie Lanning, R-Moorhead, said that talks addressed the governor's contention that the Metrodome was the only viable site.

"We've got some issues or concerns that we want to the city of Minneapolis to respond to, relative to the Metrodome site," Lanning said. "We want to give them the opportunity to respond to those concerns."

Wilf, Dayton
Vikings owner Zygi Wilf, left, and Gov. Mark Dayton, right, shake hands after a news conference Wednesday, Jan. 25, 2012 at the State Capitol. Wilf told reporters that he is open to a new stadium at the Metrodome site, but that no decision has been made. Behind Wilf is his brother Mark Wilf.
MPR Photo/Jennifer Simonson

Dayton said that he hopes the Metrodome site will get new attention.

"The staff of the city and the Vikings and the [Metropolitan] Sports Facilities Commission are going to be working diligently full time, all the time, around the clock, until we get this nailed down," Dayton said.

One key lawmaker said she didn't believe that the process had been narrowed to a single site.

Republican Sen. Julie Rosen of Fairmont said Ramsey County still has a chance to improve its bid to host the team in Arden Hills. Vikings officials were scheduled to talk again with Ramsey County officials Wednesday at 3 p.m. about their bid to host the team in Arden Hills.

A legislative working group is expected to meet again next week to talk about the prospects for a stadium.

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Vikings owner Zygi Wilf
Vikings owner Zygi Wilf, right, tells the media he is open to a new stadium at the Metrodome site, but no decision has been made, Wednesday, Jan. 25, 2012 at the State Capitol. In the background are Gov. Mark Dayton, Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak and Rep. Morrie Lanning, left to right.
MPR Photo/Jennifer Simonson
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Vikings stadium news conference at State Capitol
At a news conference announcing that a new Vikings stadium site is yet to be determined, Vikings owner Zygi Wilf, his brother Mark Wilf, Gov. Mark Dayton, Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak and Rep. Morrie Lanning, left to right, listen as Sen. Julie Rosen addresses the media Wednesday, Jan. 25, 2012 at the State Capitol.
MPR Photo/Jennifer Simonson