Q&A: Atkins Weighs in on the Vikings Stadium Debate

The Minnesota State Legislature is currently discussing the possibility of constructing a new stadium for the Minnesota Vikings. Recently, Patch spoke with Inver Grove Heights State Representative Joe Atkins about the stadium issue. Phone calls to Inver Grove Heights State Senator Jim Metzen were not returned. 

Patch: If I can just have you begin by telling me whether you’re in favor of the stadium.

District 39B Rep. Joe Atkins (DFL): Don’t know. Haven’t seen a plan.

Patch: So, at this point, you do not stand in favor or in opposition of the construction of a new Vikings stadium?

Rep. Atkins: I expect to support it if those who benefit from it will pay for it.

Patch: Can you elaborate a little more on who those people are, specifically?

Rep. Atkins: Sure. It’s the owners and the players, [they] would be examples. But also, you know, you’ve got the bars and restaurants around it that stand to directly benefit.

Patch: So, you don’t, at this point, support government funding in any context, for the stadium?

Rep. Atkins: Sometimes what happens is government ends up in the collection business. For example, the hotel folks, the ones that came to us, they don’t want to write a check to the Minnesota Vikings. What they want to do is pay a little bit more on their lodging tax … I definitely would not support the use of general fund dollars.

Patch: But you would support specific taxes that relate to hotels, restaurants, etc.?

Rep. Atkins: If those who benefit pay for it, that’s what I would support … If somebody goes to a game and a beer costs a dollar more or a hotdog costs fifty cents more and that’s going toward the stadium that they’re sitting in, I’m not necessarily opposed to that either.

Patch: Would you also be willing to tell me what locations you think would be optimal for the construction of a new Vikings stadium and why?

Rep. Atkins: Well, ideally, in Minnesota.

Patch: Anything more specific?

Rep. Atkins: I’m doing my best to try to keep an open mind.

Patch: Thank you so much for your time.

Rep. Atkins: Happy to help. The one thing, by the way, that you should be asking about too, that you’re going to hear more about as things move forward, is the repurposing of the downtown Convention Center money in Minneapolis.

Patch: Really?

Rep. Atkins: The Minneapolis Convention Center is paid off in 2020. So there’s $21 million annually that goes to pay the debt service on that facility. The debt service for a new stadium would be a little bit more than that. But if the Vikings were to pay the money necessary to take care of the debt service between now and 2020, there would be funds that are available in 2021 … It’s a bar and restaurant tax and a lodging tax and things like that … It wouldn’t require any new taxes. It would just require the use of existing taxes for a different project.

Patch: Great. Thank you for letting me know about that, I really appreciate it.