|
Stadium plan sparks debate
By Derek Sullivan
Corey Bailey has a dream. Unfortunately for many Vikings fans in the St. Cloud area, he does not have a proposal.
Bailey, a Bemidji businessman, has been working to bring a 72,000-seat football stadium to Waite Park. If finalized, the stadium would be located at Stearns Country Road 137 and Stearns County Road 6.
Bailey was invited to Thursday's Waite Park's Planning Commission meeting. The Planning Commission was looking for financial details and approval from the Minnesota Vikings. Bailey handed the board a picture off the Internet and letter detailing the plan.
"Once we can get the land re-zoned," Bailey said, "we can look at the funding. It will be built with private funding."
Two families, Robert and Nancy Zabinski and Jerome and Kathleen Zabinski, own the property. Bailey told the Waite Park Planning Commission, the Zabinski family would sell him the land if he and the city reach an agreement.
Bailey said while no agreement was finalized to re-zone 255 of the 302 acres needed for the project or to move water and sewer lines four miles to the site, the meeting went well.
"What I wanted to get out of this meeting was the (Planning Commission's) reaction," Bailey said. "I am pleased to say it was positive."
The Planning Commission has told Bailey to reveal his plans for the funding of the project by Feb. 23. If Bailey can bring forth enough information, he could get put on the March agenda.
The meeting with the Waite Park Planning Commission was the second time Bailey has pitched his plan this year. In January, Bailey went in front of the Stadium Selection Committee.
Dan McElroy heads the Stadium Selection Committee. McElroy and Gov. Tim Pawlenty's chief of staff set a Jan. 15 deadline for stadium proposals. Bailey was at the meeting. Bailey said his investors were waiting for Waite Park to act. After the land is re-zoned, he plans to discuss funding.
"Commissioner McElroy asked Mr. Bailey to step forward with his proposal," said stadium consultant and Vikings' chief lobbyists Lester Bagley. "Well, he did not bring his proposal forward."
While Bailey did not have his proposal, 26 groups did. Four of the proposals have advanced to future discussions. These proposals were chosen due to very strong financial plans and location and site specifics. Two of the proposals are for building a football stadium for the Vikings. Two other sites are looking to build a baseball-only stadium for the Twins.
"We are working with two communities on the football side," Bagley said. "That is Blaine, in Anoka County and Eden Prairie. Those two projects were deemed viable and creditable and moved forward."
The Blaine stadium location would be north of U.S. Highway 10 and West of Interstate 35W, next to the National Sports Center. Blaine proposed a $1.1 billion, 740-acre land development that includes the stadium as well as additional entertainment, retail and housing.
Eden Prairie is still looking at several stadium sites. The location would be between the area's four major roads: Interstate Highway 494, U.S. Highway 212 and 169 and Cross-town Highway 62.
There is no definitive date on when the Stadium Selection Committee would like the stadium to be completed. The Vikings lease the Metrodome through the 2011 football season. Bagley said despite the lease, action needs to be taken.
"We have been at this five years, and every year we fall further behind the NFL in terms of revenue," Bagley said. "We are headed toward crisis if we cannot solve the stadium problem."
While Bailey withholds information or funding, he did give his goal for stadium completion.
"Our goal is to have the stadium built for the 2006 football season," Bailey said.
Even if Bailey can get the land re-zoned and present viable funding, he still has to deal with the commute. Waite Park is roughly 70 miles from Minneapolis.
A study done by the Vikings showed 60 percent of their 60,000 season ticketholders live southeast of Minneapolis. The study showed that a large number of fans would travel outside the Metro area. Bagley said the Vikings did not ask the ticket holders about Waite Park.
"We believe our fans will travel to a game within reason," Bagley said. "We are not sure if (Waite Park) is within reason."
While Bailey has fallen behind Blaine and Eden Prairie, due to not meeting the Jan. 15 deadline, Bagley said the Vikings would still consider Bailey and the Waite Park site.
"We appreciate his diligence, persistence and creativity," Bagley said. "This is an extremely difficult project that requires a creative solution."
Bagley did bring up the Ghermezian brothers. The Ghermezian brothers, despite media hype and naysayers, managed to open the Mall of America Aug. 11,1992. The mall opened with over 330 stores and is still going strong today.
"The people of Bloomington thought the Ghermezian brothers were crazy," Bagley said. "Look what they accomplished."
|
|
|
|
Privacy Policy Network Advertising Article Syndication
|
|
