An architectural assessment has found that US Bank Stadium, home of the NFL’s Minnesota Vikings, will need around $280m (£224m/€257m) in maintenance work over the next 10 years.
According to a report in the Minnesota Star Tribune newspaper, the sum will include nearly $48m in repair work next year.
US Bank Stadium, which only opened in 2016 and cost $1.1bn to build, has a capacity of 73,000 and hosted the Super Bowl in 2018. The stadium is owned by the Minnesota Sports Facilities Authority (MSFA) and operated by ASM Global, with taxpayers making yearly deposits to a capital improvement fund, which reportedly holds $16m.
The Star Tribune notes that architecture firm Populous has been appointed to conduct an assessment of the stadium on behalf of the MSFA, which paid $527,500 for the report.
According to the assessment, areas of US Bank Stadium that will need maintenance include its audiovisual room, which is said to require $14m in funding. Despite the $280m figure touted to cover repair work, Populous found the stadium to be in “very good shape” overall.
Areas found to be in poor condition include weather stripping on doors, something Populous’ senior principal architect Brady Spencer said was normal for stadiums. Improvements will also be needed on a concession display on the upper concourse, and on the stadium’s in-house TV distribution system.
MSFA chair Michael Vekich said, according to the Star Tribune: “Is there sufficient money to cover these? The answer to that is no. That is the work that we have to do collectively with ASM, the Minnesota Vikings and … the governor and the Legislature.”
During an MSFA meeting to discuss the maintenance, Lester Bagley, executive vice-president of the Vikings, said: “These are improvements that are similar to those required on other world-class venues. This study will provide information and data that will help inform broader discussions and determine next steps regarding the future of US Bank Stadium.”
Spencer commended the MSFA for sanctioning the assessment just seven years after the stadium opened, with such studies typically taking place when venues are around 15 years old.
