Eden Prairie, with its prime "Golden Triangle" area north of I-494 available for redevelopment, wanted regional or statewide funding for its stadium plan. Until it moved to new headquarters in Richfield last year, Best Buy Co. had its headquarters in this area.

But Gov. Tim Pawlenty's stadium proposal doesn't allow for regional or metrowide taxes, instead requiring local communities to bear much of a new stadium's costs. Meanwhile, the City of Eden Prairie has drawn considerable interest in the site from other developers, who are proposing other uses for the property.

Anoka is now the only local governmental entity with a public interest in help to pay for a new football stadium. The city had already been working on an exclusive deal with the Vikings for a new stadium. The University of Minnesota wants to build a $222-million football stadium on campus, but the Vikings and Gophers have yet to agree on a single football facility.

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