Not so Fast: A Viking Stadium Construction Update

We reported on the financial close of the Viking Stadium Construction underway in Minneapolis. Construction progress appears halted in light of a new lawsuit filed yesterday. The gist of this petition, filed directly in the Minnesota Supreme Court pursuant to a jurisdictional grant in the Stadium Act, seems to be that the city has pledged $150,000,000 of its future hotel tax revenue to pay off state appropriations bonds, and the petition contends that the Minnesota constitution prohibits this.

From the Minneapolis Business Journal:

State officials slammed the brakes on an expected $486 million bond sale to pay for the Minnesota Vikings stadium as an old foe of the project filed a last-minute legal challenge that could upend plans to open the stadium in 2016. 

Minnesota Public Radio reports on a petition that former Minneapolis mayoral candidate Doug Mann filed with the Minnesota Supreme Court to block the bond sale. Mann, who lost a similar challenge last year, argues that a $150 million portion of the bond sale that Minneapolis plans to use to pay its portion of the stadium's $1 billion price tag is unconstitutional. ... 

Minnesota Sports Facilities Authority chairwoman Michele Kelm-Helgen said that the agency will be short $28 million by the end of the month without the bond sale. It might also affect the accompanying Downtown East project.

A copy of the petition is here.  I'm sure Mortenson's counsel are having an interesting week.

In the meantime.... Go Niners!