Vikings Stadium: Minnesota Governor Signs Bill To Build New Stadium

The Minnesota Vikings are going to be staying in the Twin Cities area.

Minnesota Governor Mark Dayton has just signed a bill approving an almost $1 billion construction project, according to the Associated Press (h/t USA Today).

Dayton’s pen has alleviated the fears of many Vikings fans that they would eventually lose their team to a more attractive area, such as Los Angeles, unless a new stadium proposal could make it through legislation.

The team’s current deal with the Metrodome expires after this season, but it certainly has a reason to stick around.

Initial plans call for the new stadium to be erected on the site of the Metrodome in downtown Minneapolis by 2016. The Vikings will sign a 30-year lease when their new building is ready to house them.

The stadium will cost approximately $975 million, with the team picking up just under half of the expenses. The city of Minneapolis and the state of Minnesota will divide the remaining costs.

Dayton approved the bill today at a ceremony in St. Paul, which was attended by numerous NFL team owners and important legislators in the state. Fans were also on hand to cheer on their governor as he signed something that will effectively keep the Vikes in the Twin Cities for the next three decades.

It is definitely a good day to be a fan of the Purple People Eaters, as fans now can finally be sure that their beloved team is sticking around for the long haul.