Residents air concerns about new Vikings' stadium - Ingles

Residents opposing a plan to build a new Minnesota Vikings stadium in Arden Hills voiced their concerns Thursday night at an open house.

Some nearby residents are concerned the proposed $1.1 billion stadium would disrupt their neighborhood and increase their cost of living with a proposed sales tax. The residents attended an open house at a Ramsey County Public Works facility near the proposed stadium site.

The plan to build the stadium at an old munition site near Interstate 35W and U.S. 10 in Arden Hills came to a halt during the recent state budget impasse. The project would require at least $300 million in financial support from the state and $350 million from Ramsey County.

"The government is broken, the economy is having a tough time, and they want us to fund a stadium for some billionaire?" said Pam Gall, who lives on nearby Schutta Road. "This is wrong."

Residents had a chance to ask questions and voice concerns to Ramsey County commissioners and Arden Hills City Council members. Vikings Vice President Lester Bagley also attended.

"We're having this event tonight because there's not enough information out there," Bagley said. "It's a great site, and there's an opportunity to clean it up, get investment into the roads and have more people come into the area to spend money. It's a win-win."

Not everyone feels that way.

Amy Song, who said she lives within walking distance of the site, is worried game-day traffic would clog highways and regional streets.

"You think the traffic, the noise doesn't affect us?" Song said. "When there's a game, (it would be) so congested. I'd have to stay in my home."

Stan Sternal, who's lived in Arden Hills for more than 20 years, worries that with a new stadium would come other disruptive events, such as large concerts.

"There's tons of people going to concerts, and they're drinking, smoking grass. I have to live with that now," he said. "That's what scares me. Not the eight or nine football games, it's the 15 to 20 other things."

Others, such as Dave Brudevold, who lives in St. Paul, said he strongly opposes a proposed half-cent sales-tax increase in Ramsey County to help fund the stadium.

"The Vikings have been around for 50 years," he said. "Any business around for 50 years can find their own money.

Vikings officials hope the proposed plan can be addressed in a special session.

"We've had a framework of a deal on Arden Hills for a couple of months," Bagley said. "Our sleeves are rolled up and we're ready to go." This article was written by Miles Trump and appeared in The Pioneer Press.