Minnesota United has reportedly found an MLS home.
TwinCities.com reported Friday that St. Paul mayor Chris Coleman and Minnesota United owner Bill McGuire are expecting to announce a stadium deal that will see the venue built on a vacant area owned by the Metropolitan Council. The site has been targeted by the club for roughly six months and is located close to Interstate 94 with several public transportation stops in the vicinity.
With a stadium location set, Minnesota United are set to begin MLS play in St. Paul in 2018.
Friday’s expected announcement of the St. Paul site comes just several months after it appeared Minnesota United would be fixed on a Minneapolis location. However, MLS’ proposal for land near the Minnesota Twins’ Target Field to be taken off of tax rolls permanently was a condition local government was unable to agree to do to the land’s value.
The St. Paul site has no such issues, as the proposed land has been untaxed for years.
What do you think of the Minnesota United news? Excited for the announcement? What do you expect from the team in the build-up to their MLS debut?
Share your thoughts below.
So, they announced being mostly committed to possibly building a stadium in this particular probable location.
that’s great news for them.
Maybe need the extra construction time? Construction season isn’t as long as LA and they are coming in 2018 too.
Where did you get 2018 from? Wouldn’t the league want two teams entering the league in 2017?
I’ve always heard 2018 as the date for Minnesota. They’ve had odd numbers of teams before, it’s workable. I think LAFC is due to join in 2017 along with Atlanta anyway. Maybe Miami and Minnesota the following year although who knows with Miami?
I hadn’t realized they picked the non-NFL bid. So they plan on playing outside in MN in February/March/April/October?
Guessing they would play on the road in Feb and early March. Also would assume they’d install some infield heating elements similar to what they have at Lambeau Field in Green Bay. April-October in Minneapolis is not that bad and probably not that different than Toronto, Montreal or Foxboro. If there is that rare April or October snowstorm with a foot of snow, I’m sure they could move the game to the new Vikings stadium since it is publicly owned.
Great news! Can any Min United fans comment on the St. Paul location compared to original site by the Twins ballpark?
The Minneapolis location probably was the better site with freeway access from any direction close by. It was on the outskirts of downtown close by bars and entertainment in Downtown, Uptown and Northeast Minneapolis. All 3 of the train lines went there. However, the mayor and city council of Minneapolis, probably suffering from stadium fatigue were not aboard it until it was too late. As of current resident of Minneapolis I am not happy about the politicians response to this issue.
As for the St. Paul site, it is right dab in the middle of downtown Minneapolis and downtown St. Paul. Off of interstate 94 and there is only one rail line that goes there. Area which they are building in is a bit aged and run down. However, I think St. Paul is looking to use this project as a stimulus to redevelop the area. Kind of like how they did when they built the Xcel Center for the MN Wild hockey team and CHS Field for the minor league baseball team St. Paul Saints. Those have been a boon for downtown St. Paul. Traffic, parking are going to be issues in St. Paul.