Vikings

Ted Mondale Appointed To Oversee Vikings Stadium Project

Published June 25, 2012

The newly created public body that will work with the Vikings in “overseeing development of a $975 million downtown Minneapolis football stadium made its first significant hire Friday, appointing Ted Mondale as its full-time executive director,” according to Richard Meryhew of the Minneapolis STAR TRIBUNE. Mondale, who was Minn. Gov. Mark Dayton's “chief negotiator in the months-long legislative fight for a new stadium, will oversee day-to-day operations of the massive project, which will be built on and around the current Metrodome site on the east end of downtown.” He begins his role today and “will be paid $157,181 annually in the full-time position.” That is “about $2,100 more than the salary of Bill Lester, executive director of the Metropolitan Sports Facilities Commission, which owns and operates the Metrodome” (Minneapolis STAR TRIBUNE, 6/23). In Minneapolis, Sid Hartman notes Lester, who has been MSFC Exec Dir “since the Metrodome was built, hasn't decided if he wants to continue in a position with the new stadium.” If he “did stay on, he doesn't know what he would do.” Mondale said that there are “a number of things in the works already regarding the new stadium.” Mondale: "There's a set of contracts and (requests for proposals) that we need to get fulfilled to keep the project going. We need to get in place a building owners rep.” He added, "We have a number of other works -- the environmental impact statement, that takes about a year.” After those assignments are completed, the “next step is to be ready to go out and bid for construction teams and select a manager, and then hopefully break ground by summer or fall 2013” (Minneapolis STAR TRIBUNE, 6/25).