The Minnesota Wild and the city of Saint Paul proposed an arena renovation plan Thursday that asks the state to fund about $395 million, a little over half of the projected bottom line.
The Wild have proposed $769 million in renovations to the Xcel Center, where the NHL team has played since its inaugural season in 2000-01.
They proposed a plan to state legislators that would see the team pay nearly $216 million (30 percent) of the renovation cost and Saint Paul cover $159 million (20 percent).
Saint Paul mayor Melvin Carter is pitching the hefty taxpayer ask as an investment in the area’s future. The Wild want to build up the Xcel Center and its surrounding area into an entertainment district.
“It’s not a question of whether taxpayers should be on the hook for this building. We are,” Carter said, per the Minneapolis Star Tribune. “It’s a question of whether we want to facilitate, we want to set ourselves up, so that what we’re on the hook for is a vibrant, thriving center of activity for the next generation.”
The state of Minnesota has already helped cover the costs of Target Field, the Minnesota Twins’ ballpark that opened in 2010, and U.S. Bank Stadium, the home of the Minnesota Vikings that began operating in 2016.
State Sen. Sandy Pappas, whose district represents parts of Saint Paul, told the Star Tribune the Wild’s plan will be a “hard sell” as the state tightens its budget.
“They haven’t really responded to my suggestion, which is a surcharge on tickets,” Pappas said.
–Field Level Media
