Plan Would Put New Vikings Stadium Near Metrodome Gov. Mark Dayton, political leaders and the Minnesota Vikings unveiled a proposal Thursday to build a $975 million stadium for the team in downtown Minneapolis and called for quick action on the plan before the Legislature adjourns this spring. The plan would put the new building nearly on top of the current Metrodome site. It calls for $398 million from the state, $150 million from the city and $427 million from the Vikings for upfront construction costs. The state's share would come from an expansion of pulltab gambling games to add an electronic version, while Minneapolis' share would come from redirecting existing convention center and hospitality taxes. "Now the real work begins," Dayton said. The plan was rolled out at a Capitol news conference with Dayton joined by top legislators and team owners Zygi and Mark Wilf. Dayton has pressed for action on a new Vikings stadium for months, fearful that the team may leave the state without it as the Lakers did long ago. "This is an exciting day, because the dream of keeping the Minnesota Vikings here for generations to come is close at hand," Vikings owner Zygi Wilf said. Still, the Vikings' Metrodome lease has expired, and though they will play next season there, their future in the state is not assured. Dayton and political leaders have touted the project as a "people's stadium," to be used by colleges and high schools and for special events. Dayton said it would create jobs, too: as many as 8,000 construction jobs, 5,000 related jobs for suppliers and others, and 2,000 permanent jobs after that. Supporters said the Vikings' share of the stadium costs would amount to just over half because the team would commit to paying some operational costs over time. But much of the money for those costs would likely come from stadium revenues earmarked for the team, and the proposal outlined Thursday gave no details on revenue distributions. The Vikings have lagged at the bottom of the league in annual revenue in recent years at the Metrodome, which opened in 1982 as the quintessential multipurpose facility. The dome was always functional over fancy and despite excellent sight lines for fans in most seats for football games, the concourses are cramped, the decor is drab and the amenities are outdated. The Vikings have been asking for public subsidies for a new stadium for more than a decade, citing their need to be sufficiently profitable in the annual $10 billion business that is the NFL. A snowstorm that caused a roof collapse on Dec. 12, 2010, put that plea in sharper focus. But the economic downturn in recent years put the team's quest in deeper trouble, too, particularly after Republicans gained control of the Minnesota Legislature at the start of 2011, forcing stadium supporters to abandon any financing schemes based on state or local tax increases. Several different proposals and deals have fallen apart over the years. Just in the last few months, a suburban project in Arden Hills was scuttled by political complications and limited funding options. Another plan to build on the west end of downtown Minneapolis was derailed after leadership at a Catholic church balked at the potential of nearby construction and disrupted Sunday mornings. That left the current Metrodome site, on the east edge of downtown.