Why is Minnesota Spending $21 Million to Fix US Bank Stadium?
U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis will celebrate its 6th anniversary this summer, but officials are already in the middle of a 21-million project to fix the home of the Vikings.
Why Does US Bank Stadium Already Needs Fixing?
Does someone have a copy of the warranty on U.S. Bank Stadium? Because even though the state-of-the-art venue that's hosted NFL games, the Final Four College Basketball tournament, college baseball games, as well as numerous concerts, isn't even six years old yet, if you drive by the home of the Vikings in Minneapolis, you'll notice that there's a massive $21-million construction project going on right now.
Actually, the fact that the 21-million dollar project was needed first came to light over a year ago, as this Fox-9 story notes. It's all because of those dark metallic zinc panels on the outside of the stadium. They're leaky. They've had a history of falling off, of being blown off in the wind, and generally aren't really up to the quality one might expect from a stadium you've on which you've just spent a billion dollars ($1.1 billion actually) building.
Here's the $21 Million Solution
So, the Minnesota Sports Facility Authority (MSFA)-- the actual owners and operators of US Bank Stadium-- decided a new, more water-proof solution was needed. And last year, they unveiled the project to replace the familiar dark metallic panels...with more dark metallic panels, after first installing a new water barrier.
"The new, enhanced exterior enclosure will be designed, engineered, and constructed differently than the original enclosure, and it will provide water barrier redundancies not included in the original design," the MSFA said earlier this year, according to this Mpls-St. Paul story.
So, just who is paying for that expensive fix?
They noted that the two-year project is now in the home stretch, and should be done sometime this fall. And, while Minnesota taxpayers AREN'T on the hook for the 21-million dollar repairs (The Mpls-St. Paul story said they'll be paid for by a legal agreement involving the eight different companies that designed and built the stadium), I'm wondering just how such a sub-par original design ever was approved. I mean, if you or I have a new roof or siding installed on our house, I'm guessing we'd want it to last more than 5 years, right?!?
Now while the $1.1 billion it took to build US Bank Stadium no doubt makes it one of the most expensive facilities ever built in Minnesota, nobody actually lives there-- even if it IS the home of the Vikings. Keep scrolling, though, to take a look at the most expensive house here in Minnesota-- where, yes, somebody DOES live!