Gopher Football Stadium

[Minneapolitan]

Both houses of the Minnesota Legislature passed a Gophers football stadium Saturday (May 20th)!

Details:

- 50,000-seat horseshoe-shaped stadium, expandable to 80,000

- requires $10.25 million in state general fund money for 25 years and includes

- $35 million through a naming rights deal with TCF Financial Corp.,

- a land swap

- maximum per student fee of $25 per year.

- first kickoff should come in 2009.

[Minneapolitan]

Here's an updated rendering of the new Gopher football stadium - TCF Stadium. Note the Stadium Village station along the Central Corridor light rail line will be located within walking distance.

[City_of_Lakes]

Hope that when the Central Corridor Line has its price tag slashed (as advised by the FTA so we can have a good shot at receiving 50% funding) they don't get ride of the tunnel underneath the U of M East bank. Throwing that thing on the surface would be an accident waiting to happen with all the pedestrian traffic.

Rerouting that thing would not be fun, especially since light rail vehicles don't enjoy taking 90 degree turns.

[Minneapolitan]

The University of Minnesota regents has added another $40 million to the new Gopher stadium. The stadium will seat 50,000 and is expected to be ready by fall 2009.

Here are some highlights of the project.

* The stadium will be part of the proposed East Gateway District that will include a new biosciences building, more parking and a Central Corridor light-rail station.

* 36 suites

* outdoor boxes with four to six seats each with waiter service and televisions

* stadium club

* head coach's suite with views of the campus and downtown skyline that would be used, in part, to entertain recruits.

* The new stadium has also been designed to add another 30,000 seats later.

* The U said it will not ask students or taxpayers to pay for the additional costs.

New Renderings:

Artist's rendering of the proposed University of Minnesota stadium looking to the east.

Artist's rendering of the proposed University of Minnesota stadium looking to the west.