CHICAGO - The Minnesota Senate passed legislation banning state taxpayer aid for a proposed $120 million open-air Major League Soccer stadium in Minneapolis.
The vote was a pre-emptive strike: the ownership group that has proposed building the private stadium to support its new Minnesota United FC MLS franchise has not sought direct state financial funds to finance construction.
The group is asking for a package of tax breaks from local and state officials in the form of an exemption from property taxes and sales taxes on construction related materials. The private group will pay $100 million to MLS for the franchise, $30 million to acquire land for the stadium, and $100 million for the stadium construction.
The amendment approved April 20 says "no state funds may be appropriated or tax expenditures used to fund the construction of a new major league soccer stadium."
The project faces a tough road in winning any subsides at the local level as Minneapolis Mayor Betsy Hodges has voiced her opposition. Gov. Mark Dayton has said he is open to considering the group's proposals.
After years of false starts, new stadiums for the Minnesota Twins baseball franchise and the Minnesota Vikings football team won local and state contributions that go to repay debt issued for their stadiums. They received some tax breaks but their stadiums are publicly owned and the soccer stadium would be privately owned.
