The owners of the Minnesota Vikings said Tuesday t

The owners of the Minnesota Vikings said Tuesday the team's future is in the suburbs, announcing a deal with Ramsey County to collaborate on a $1.1 billion retractable-roof football stadium about 10 miles north of their current home at the Metrodome in downtown Minneapolis.The deal between the Vikings and Ramsey County, announced to great fanfare at a news conference near the site, appeared to end the debate over the location of the team's long-sought stadium -- at least from the Vikings' perspective. But the team and its supporters still face a tough fight for approval in the dwindling days of Minnesota's legislative session.The Vikings and Ramsey County proposed a stadium at the site of a former Army ammunition plant in the suburban city of Arden Hills. Minnesota Vikings Jerseys They said they want to build an $884 million stadium, with an additional $173 million for onsite infrastructure, parking and environmental cleanup, for a stadium that would open in spring 2015.
The Vikings would pay $407 million of construction costs, or 39 percent, while Ramsey County would pay $350 million, which is 33 percent. But the necessary third leg of the funding, a proposed $300 million from the state of Minnesota plus an additional $100 million in transportation improvements to the area, was in question after a key state lawmaker called that total tab a "non-starter."Sen. Julie Rosen, the chief Senate sponsor of the bill, said there was no way she could get colleagues in the Legislature to support a state commitment higher than $300 million NFL JerseysShe also pointed out state estimates released earlier Tuesday pegged the transportation upgrades to cost at least $175 million."There are a lot of issues that need to be worked out with the Ramsey County site," said Rosen,Christian Louboutin Sample Sale, a Republican from Fairmont. A proposal released a day earlier by Minneapolis city leaders to keep the team downtown is "still definitely on the table," she said.
The county commissioners said it was fair for the state to also pay for the nearby road improvements. But state Transportation Commissioner Tom Sorel said earlier in the day that his agency doesn't consider fixing those roads a priority for at least the next few years.NFL Jerseys From ChinaThe Vikings have been pressing for a new stadium for years, but the team's push took on new urgency after the Metrodome roof collapsed under the weight of a December snowstorm and as the team plays out the final season on its lease. It is one of four NFL franchises thought to be possibilities to relocate to the vacant Los Angeles market.The stadium discussion had been largely put off at the Capitol as legislators struggle to resolve a $5 billion state deficit. It picked up speed last week, with Dayton saying he had met privately with the Wilfs and that he was ready to sign a stadium bill.