Don't count on state funding for a soccer stadium, says Rep. Paul Thissen

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Minnesota Vikings

The Minnesota Vikings hope the new downtown Minneapolis stadium will attract a Major League Soccer team.

Sam Black

Senior reporter- Minneapolis / St. Paul Business Journal

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Don't expect the Legislature to support a soccer-only stadium in the 2015 session, Speaker of the House Paul Thissen said Friday at a legislative outlook breakfast hosted by the Minneapolis Regional Chamber of Commerce.

"I think it's going to be very, very hard to get the Legislature to do another stadium," Thissen told about 25 people at the Wells Fargo Center in Minneapolis.

A soccer-only stadium is still in early stages of discussion. A group led by Minnesota United FC owner and former UnitedHealth Group CEO Bill McGuire focused its plans on a site near Target Field.

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The Minnesota United Group is vying for an MLS expansion franchise, competing with the owners of the Minnesota Vikings and groups from Sacramento and Las Vegas.

There's been no public request for state or local subsidies to build a soccer-only stadium, but public assistance and state authorization was the key cog required for the new Vikings stadium and Target Field. Plus, Hennepin County Commissioner Mike Opat joined the United group last month when it presented to the MLS. Opat was behind the deal to subsidize Target Field

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Thissen, a DFLer who represents part of South Minneapolis, will be minority leader of the Minnesota House when the balance of power switches to Republicans in January.

"Among Minneapolis legislators, I may be the only one that's voted for both of the stadiums in the last couple of years," he said. "And I don't know that I would personally support that ... especially since we had the idea of having this new football stadium be a dual-purpose stadium for soccer as well. That was clearly part of the discussion."

Sam Black covers real estate, manufacturing and economic development.