The Vikings may have won the cool factor sweepstakes with the design for their new stadium, but that doesn’t mean they’re actually going to be able to build the monstrosity that turned so many heads.
The Minneapolis Star Tribune reports that the team is having trouble staying within its $975 million budget and will likely have to cut some features from its new stadium. Prime on the chopping block are a 400-spot parking garage, a skyway, a couple of escalators and a good chunk of the five huge, swinging glass doors that were supposed to be at the front of the stadium.
“We only have $975 million in the budget, and there’s only so many things you can get under that number,” Vikings vice president Lester Bagley said.
The team is advancing $13.1 million to keep some features that were in line to be cut, including stadium Wi-Fi, a larger video board and another scoreboard, according to the Star Tribune.
Gone, however, are the 95-foot pivoting glass doors at the main entrance. Instead, shorter doors that are 78 feet on one end and 54 feet on the other will be built. That’s expected to save $3.2 million.
It looks like $975 million just doesn’t go as far as it used to.
