Tenant to Landlord: No More Improvements

MINNEAPOLIS-Here’s an unusual landlord-tenant squabble: A tenant complaining about the landlord wanting to spent too much on improvements. One of the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome sports stadium’s key tenants, the Minnesota Vikings professional football team, recently objected to $3 million in planned improvements proposed by the Metropolitan Sports Facilities Commission, which ownsand manages the Downtown facility.

Michael F. Kelly, Jr., executive vice president of the Vikings, objected publicly that much of the money would be used to renovate office space used by the commission. Kelly, who is advocating for a new stadium to be built for his team, also objected to its plans to spend much of a $22 million reserve.

Earlier this month, the commission later voted to reject the bids for the project and not proceed atthis time.

But this week, Kathryn Roberts, the commission’s chairwoman, sent a letter to Kelly saying some of his descriptions of the plan were unfair. She told Kelly her commission plans to revisit this project at some point after the football season.

“While a portion of the project would move and replace the commission offices, the primary purpose for the project is to build new food courts for the fans that attend Dome events, create new hosting spaces and a new ticket office,” she wrote.

Roberts also said the commission’s 10-year capital spending program, which would use much of the $22.8 million it now holds in cash reserves, is aimed at investing “in the facility to ensure that the teams continue to maximize those revenues that are available in the stadium.”

She adds the commission has an obligation to upgrade and improve the Dome unless the Minnesota Legislature tells it to stop in anticipation of eventually demolishing the Metrodome. Future projects in the capital budget include sound and video equipment replacements and upgrades, artificialturf, rest rooms and concessions on the new plaza adjoining the light rail transit station. In addition, plus normal building equipment and systems need to be replaced.

“As you know, the Commission has received no such directive from the Legislature,” she says.