Who is going to miss the Dome?

Will anyone actually miss the Minneapolis Metrodome?  The Metrodome roof is the first thing many people won't miss. It's a difficult thing to have to deal with, especially knowing that it can become an issue during games. Most stadiums have the sun to deal with, but that dome causes its own special brand of problems. The ball is the same color as the roof, which obviously causes a lot of errors when playing.

Another issue with playing inside a building is the old air. Many players have sinus issues and get sick from perhaps the mold, bacteria or something else.

Leave me a comment on this blog.... Will you miss the Dome?

Metrodome to lose millions as Gophers and Twins open new stadiums

The Metrodome made the news recently and not just as the Home Sweet Dome for the Minnesota Twins baseball team.

The Metropolitan Sports Facilities Commission, who manage the Metrodome Minneapolis, have been looking over financial numbers that show the Dome will lose an average of $2 million a year once the Twins and the Gophers have left the Metrodome for their new stadiums.

That’s a startling statistic and the MSFC is scrambling for ways to keep the Metrodome alive including cutting expenses, attracting new events and keeping the Minnesota Vikings.

"Nothing pays the freight like the Vikings," the MSFC said. "You take that out and the Dome's no longer viable."

I smell another push at building a new Vikings stadium on the Metrodome site!

Gopher Football Ends Metrodome Era

The University of Minnesota Golden Gopher football team ended their Metrodome era last Saturday November 22nd with a season finale loss to the Iowa Hawkeyes. I think most Gopher fans are happy to put the Metrodome years behind them and are looking forward to a new season on campus at the brand new TCF Bank Stadium. Farewell, Gophers. The Metrodome and the surrounding businesses will miss you and your revenue.

Many Gopher memories have been made under that white Teflon roof.

Good Luck Gophers at TCF Bank Stadium!

Vikings Metrodome Future

There are still so many questions surrounding the future of the Hubert H Humphrey Metrodome. The Gophers are gone after this season, the Twins in two seasons and that just leaves the stadium starved Minnesota Vikings to hold down the white teflon roof. Well, I read in the Tribune recently that “the developer who granted an option to the Minnesota Vikings and the Metrodome's owner for a block next door to the stadium has asked to extend that option deadline to 2012.”

Hmmm….Perhaps a new stadium on the site of the Metrodome is closer than we think. I am sure public funding will be a long battle, but if you know the Metrodome History, then you know that it was a battle as well. Be sure to visit the Dome soon and take plenty of pictures because the stadiums days are definitely numbered.

Metrodome Future

There is plenty of talk regarding the future of the HHH Metrodome. So much talk that it has even been a good question news story. The fact of the matter is that the Gopher Football team is out in 2009, the Twins leave in 2010 and the Minnesota Vikings lease expires in 2011.

The Metropolitan Sports Facilities Commission, which is the public agency in charge of the Metrodome, says the Dome can operate without the Gophers and Twins, but not without the Vikings. Ideally, the commission would like to work out a deal with the Minnesota Vikings to build a new stadium in the existing 22 acre Metrodome site. The infrastructure is already in place including parking options and light rail transportation options for fans. It would be nice to see the Minnesota Vikings remain in downtown Minneapolis and work out some sort of stadium deal for a “new metrodome” facility, but it may be a long road to reach an agreement. Then again, if you know the original Metrodome history, it was a long road as well.

Future of Minneapolis Metrodome

The future of the Minneapolis Metrodome has been a topic of discussion for about a decade, now. The Metropolitan Sports Facilities Commission (they run the dome) are trying to figure out what to do with the stadium after the Gopher Football team moves out next year and the Minnesota Twins move out the following year. The Minnesota Vikings will still remain for another year after that, but there is no doubt that they will continue pushing for a new stadium.

The people who run the dome conducted a survey of state residents and determined that 92% of Minnesotans want to keep the Vikings (duh!) and that 85% think Minnesota needs a stadium with a roof (too bad the Twins didn’t listen to that survey!) . Now, the commission is going to put together a new stadium package at a cost of $953 million (the HHH Metrodome only cost $55 million to build) and is going to start working on city leaders to raise taxes to pay for it. It will be an interesting next few years as the Metrodome future is determined once and for all. The current Metrodome was a hotly discussed project in the 70’s, you can bet it’s replacement will be as well!