Minnesota Momentum

Resounding Support

2010-05-04T11:34:00.001-05:00

Yesterday was an exciting day for Minnesota Momentum as a Vikings stadium bill was introduced at the Minnesota Legislature. The announcement of the legislation for a publicly-owned facility came with resounding support from all across the state. Business and labor leaders, as well as representatives from the hospitality industry and the High School Football Coaches Association, all stood up to show their support.

Now with the political process underway, Momentum supporters have an even bigger opportunity to have their voices heard, as early as today, when the stadium bill is heard in front of the House Local Government Division Committee at 4:00 p.m.

TUESDAY, MAY 4, 2010
4:00 p.m.
Meeting Time Note: Hearing will begin 30 minutes after the House floor session adjourns, but no earlier than 4:00 p.m.
Room: 5 State Office Building
Chair: Representative Michael V. Nelson
Agenda:
HF3825 (Solberg) Alternative plans for a new National Football League stadium in Minnesota provided, Minnesota Stadium Authority established, and Metropolitan Sports Facilities Commission abolished.

While we have already lined up fans and stadium supporters to testify at tonight’s hearing, there will be more, including two on Wednesday, should the bill clear tonight’s committee, and we are going to need more fans to step up. Email us at minnesotamomentum@vikings.nfl.net if interested.

These next few days will be critical to the success of finding a stadium solution that will keep the Vikings in Minnesota for the next generation of fans. We'll keep you updated as the bill progresses -- and let you know how you can help.

Here is what you can do to help make sure this bill results in a new multi-purpose stadium for the State of Minnesota:

• Contact your elected officials and tell them why you support a new stadium.
• Show your support on stadium articles posted online in the comments section.
• Tell your friends and family why you support a new stadium and get them to sign up to become a member of Minnesota Momentum.
• Keep up to date on what is going on by stopping by www.minnesotamomentum.com at least once a day.

What Price Vikings Fandom? Funny You Should Ask

2010-01-16T16:11:00.000-06:00

Economists Say It's $530.65, Silly Horns Not Included

By CONOR DOUGHERTY

MINNEAPOLIS—Christopher Slinde, a lifetime Minnesota Vikings fan who has endured decades of heartbreak and lots of overpriced beer in supporting his team, believes Vikings fandom is priceless. According to economists, it's worth $530.65.

WSJ's Conor Doughtery speaks with colleague Adam Najberg about the Minnesota Viking's value to the Twin Cities as the team threatens to leave the area if it doesn't get a new stadium to replace the Metrodome.

"This is deep," said Mr. Slinde, a 33-year-old X-ray technician, outside the Park Tavern near Minneapolis on Sunday. He had been handed a recent economics paper that is tattooed with equations and attempts to value, in dollars, the joy and pain Minnesotans get from the Vikings.

"Don't economists spend their time on more serious stuff?" he asked, after thumbing through the paper in the cold.

As fans pack stadiums and couches to watch the National Football League's divisional playoffs this weekend, they care about victory. Economists are tackling a more abstract challenge: putting a price on the emotional benefits of having a pro sports team in town.

The worth of fandom may seem theoretical, or even silly. But it's serious business for teams like the Vikings, who want Minnesotans to help them pay for an $870 million stadium to replace the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome in downtown Minneapolis. The Vikings' Metrodome lease runs out in 2011 and the team says it won't sign an extension without a deal for a new stadium.

The team hasn't explicitly said it will bolt without a deal. But it insists the Metrodome cannot support a modern NFL franchise. So, many fans are convinced that without a new stadium, the Vikings will take their quest for football greatness to a warmer state with no Nordic heritage.

Sports teams sell their facilities as economic-development projects that create jobs and generate tax revenue. But a slew of studies have shown that publicly subsidized stadiums—usually paid for by selling bonds and paying the cost and interest with tax revenue–rarely return the money governments put into them. Teams continue to argue, often successfully, that they are worthy of subsidies because they are a source of civic pride and purpose.

But what is that worth? Economists Aju Fenn and John Crooker tried to answer the question in a study published in July 2009 in the Southern Economic Journal.

The two used "contingent valuation methodology," which is a nerdy way of saying they surveyed people and used statistical models to turn the answers into an average price Minnesotans place on the Vikings.

The result: The Vikings' "welfare value" is $702,351,890— $530.65 for each of the roughly 1.32 million households in Minnesota.

The study was conducted in 2002, and the figures are not adjusted for inflation (or for the recent acquisition of quarterback Brett Favre).

You couldn't touch that money. It's an abstract figure meant to catch everything from the joy of donning blond braids and Vikings horns to the feeling of pride that even nonfans get from living in a "major league" city. In the broadest sense, Mr. Crooker says, "welfare value" represents the worth Minnesotans place on having the Vikings in Minnesota.

It's tough putting a price on feelings, which is why some economists are skeptical of contingent value studies.

"It's not that this is capturing nothing, it's just that it's not legitimate to interpret people's answers as if folks were spending their own money," says Peter Diamond, an MIT economist. He co-authored a 1994 paper titled: "Contingent Valuation: Is Some Number Better Than No Number?"

Mr. Fenn, chair of the department of economics and business at Colorado College, got the idea for his Vikings study 10 years ago, while teaching a sports economics class at the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul. The Vikings had a new owner so then, as now, fans were worried the team would leave.

Other economists have used contingent valuation to measure the social benefits of professional teams. But Mr. Fenn believed fears of a Vikings departure would produce a more accurate tally of the value Minnesotans get from their purple and gold team.

View Full Image

Matt McLoone for The Wall Street Journal

Brian Sand, an ardent Minnesota Vikings fan, in the basement lair where he watches games with his friends.

Minnesotans are no strangers to sports abandonment. In 1960, the Minneapolis Lakers basketball team moved to Los Angeles, a city not known for its lakes. The Minnesota North Stars hockey team became the Dallas Stars in 1993.

So, on a fall evening before a 1999 Monday Night Football game, Mr. Fenn and some students went to a Metrodome parking lot to survey tailgaters. Some fans whipped out their checkbooks to make the point that they would pay on the spot to keep the Vikings in town. (No donations were collected). The drunker fans got, the more they were willing to pay, Mr. Fenn observed.

Survey questions were fine-tuned by the Metrodome experience. In the 2002 off-season (to minimize in-season emotions), Messrs. Fenn and Crooker mailed 1,400 surveys to households across Minnesota, capturing both fans and nonfans.

The study's figures were based on the mail surveys, which had 30 questions ranging from demographic information to how much time the person discussed the Vikings at home and at work. But the so-called welfare value was generated from a single yes or no question: Would you be willing to pay $X out of your own household budget for the next year to make a new stadium possible? There was one price on each survey (it ranged from $5 to $100).

Mr. Fenn cautions that the $702 million welfare value doesn't mean that helping the Vikings with a stadium would be the best use of the state's tax dollars.

"We're not suggesting that the state of Minnesota act a certain way, or that voters support [a new stadium], or not support it," he says. "We're just pointing out that the Vikings mean a lot to the average Minnesotan."

You don't need a doctorate in economics to discover that the Vikings mean a lot to Brian Sand, a Minneapolis police officer. He watches games in a basement lair he calls "Jerseys" for the four framed and autographed Vikings jerseys hanging on the walls.

On a recent Sunday evening, Mr. Sand was seated on the Jerseys couch with his fiancée, Emily Johnson, eating chocolate-chip cookies and chuckling as the Vikings' archrival, the Green Bay Packers, lost their championship hopes on an embarrassing fumble.

If he had to, Mr. Sand guesses he would spend up to $500 a year to keep the Vikings around. As a kid, he devoted his Sundays to church and the Vikings, and the team still helps him get through the cold Minnesota winters. "This state is a Viking state," says Mr. Sand.

Mr. Slinde, the X-ray technician, says he'd be out of a hobby if the Vikings left town. No more tailgating in the cold or watching games at bars or at friends' houses. No point in listening to sports talk radio. The only benefit Mr. Slinde can see is that if Vikings left town, he'd save a lot of money.

Write to Conor Dougherty at conor.dougherty@wsj.com

http://online.wsj.com/article_email/SB10001424052748704281204575002843963779182-lMyQjAxMTAwMDEwNjExNDYyWj.html

MINNEAPOLIS HOSPITALITY INDUSTRY ANNOUNCES SUPPORT FOR VIKINGS STADIUM SOLUTION

2010-01-08T09:32:00.000-06:00

Eden Prairie, MN – Meet Minneapolis™, Official Convention + Visitors Association, and its Board of Directors today announced its support for a Vikings stadium solution during the 2010 Legislative Session.

“We believe the Vikings are an important asset that needs to be retained in Minnesota,” said Meet Minneapolis President & CEO Melvin Tennant. “Professional sports add to the competitiveness of the region and positively impact the hospitality industry, which is why we support the Vikings efforts to resolve this issue in 2010.”

Within the position statement, Meet Minneapolis said, “the team generates awareness, civic pride, tourism and fan visits while adding significantly to the state’s economy…therefore Meet Minneapolis™, Convention + Visitors Association, strongly supports an aggressive public discussion and action leading to a solution to the team’s facilities needs before the end of the 2010 Legislative Session.”

“We are very appreciative of Meet Minneapolis’ support of our stadium efforts,” said Vikings Vice President of Public Affairs and Stadium Development Lester Bagley. “The Vikings value the input of the hospitality industry and the relationship we have with them. We know this project will not move forward without the involvement of business and community leaders like Meet Minneapolis.”

ABOUT MEET MINNEAPOLIS: Meet Minneapolis is a private, not-for-profit, member based association. It actively promotes the Minneapolis area as a venue for conventions and meetings and markets the city as a desirable tourist destination to bring a positive economic impact to the greater Minneapolis area.

Media Contacts: Connie Stelter for Meet Minneapolis, 612.767.8042, connies@meetminneapolis.com

Statement from Meet Minneapolis

Vikings Take A Step To Find A Cure For Lymphoma

2009-06-02T15:41:00.002-05:00

Lymphoma is the most common blood cancer in the U.S., affecting three Minnesotans every day

WHAT
The Lymphoma Research Foundation Minnesota Chapter’s 5th Annual Lymphomathon 5k walk/run. Lymphomathons in 15 cities across the country are expected to raise over $1.7 million this year, with eighty-five cents of every dollar going toward research and programming to eradicate the most common blood cancer in the United States and serve those touched by the disease.

WHO
Thousands of volunteers, including survivors, caregivers and supporters who are walking/running in memory of those whose lives have been touched by lymphoma. Team Vikings will be made up of Vikings players, including linebacker Heath Farwell, tight end Garrett Mills, and center John Sullivan, as well as Vikings staff, cheerleaders, fans, family and friends.

WHERE
Lake Nokomis, Minneapolis, MN

WHEN
Saturday, June 6
9:00 a.m. – Registration
10:00 a.m. – Walk/Run – Runners will start before walkers
Runners will begin on a USATF-Certified 5k course minutes before the walkers.

WHY
To raise awareness of lymphoma and research funds for a cure for the most common blood cancer and the third most common cancer in children. Today, half a million Americans are affected by some form of lymphoma.

MORE
THERE IS NO REGISTRATION FEE TO PARTICIPATE. Walkers/runners are encouraged to raise a minimum of $100.00 in pledges to receive an LRF Lymphomathon t-shirt, and $250.00 for a travel tote. All donations are fully tax-deductible.

To join Team Vikings, visit www.lymphomathon.org. Click on Minnesota and find Team Vikings on the right-hand side. For more information, please contact Vikings Manager of Public Affairs Jeff Anderson at 952.828.6570.

May 8 Breakfast Recap

2009-05-12T13:04:00.001-05:00

The Minnesota Vikings and Minnesota Momentum held a free breakfast and stadium update for members last Friday, May 8, at The Stadium Sports Bar in White Bear Lake. For the 45 members in attendance, the event included a “state of the team” report from “Benchwarmer Bob Lurtsema, as well as an update on the current stadium situation from Vikings Vice President of Public Affairs/Stadium Development Lester Bagley. Autographed items, including an Adrian Peterson football and a Sidney Rice jersey, were raffled along with tickets and sideline passes to the Ravens-Vikings game in October.

The Vikings want to say thank you to those members who attended this informative event. The team will continue to hold these gatherings in the future, and we look forward to meeting more of our passionate fans.

Free Community Breakfast this Friday

2009-05-04T16:34:00.001-05:00

The Minnesota Vikings and Minnesota Momentum will hold a free community breakfast on Friday, May 8, at The Stadium Sports Bar and Grill in White Bear Lake.

Along with a full breakfast, members will receive an exclusive Vikings stadium update, as well as a chance to win lower level tickets to the Vikings 2009 regular season game versus the Baltimore Ravens (October 18). Autographed team items will also be raffled, and members will meet former Vikings great “Benchwarmer” Bob Lurtsema.

Who
Vikings Vice President of Public Affairs/Stadium Development Lester Bagley
Vikings alum Bob Lurtsema
Minnesota Momentum members

What
A free breakfast and an official Minnesota Vikings stadium update. Team officials will also hold a raffle to give away two (2) lower level tickets to the Ravens at Vikings game on October 18, 2009, as well as autographed team items.

Where
The Stadium Sports Bar and Grill
3600 Hoffman Road
White Bear Lake, MN 55110
(651) 770-8670

When
Friday, May 8, 2009
7:45 a.m. – Check-in (receive materials, grab breakfast, find seats)
8:00 a.m. – Program begins
8:40 a.m. – Q & A
9:00 a.m. – Program ends

RSVP
Please RSVP for the May 8 event by calling Travis Petschl at 952.918.8307.

Nessler Knows Harvin

2009-05-04T08:24:00.000-05:00

Working from the broadcast booth for ABC and ESPN for the past several seasons, former Vikings radio broadcaster Brad Nessler knows what a dynamic presence 1st-round pick Percy Harvin can bring to the football field.

As the lead play-by-play man for ABC college football, Nessler has seen his share of great players in big games. For him, Harvin is right at the top of the list of players coming out of college in recent years.

“I’d have to say Percy is the most exciting player I’ve covered since Reggie Bush,” Nessler said. “I had the Florida-Florida State game this year and the things that he and Tim Tebow did were just on a different level from everyone else on the field. He’s an electrifying dude and he’s going to be a perfect compliment to Bernard Berrian and Adrian Peterson in that Vikings offense. I think coach Childress is going to have lightning in a purple bottle with Percy Harvin.”

Nessler was on home soil for draft weekend, visiting his alma mater - Minnesota State University, Mankato - to receive a Distinguished Alumni Award. Nessler was one of 12 MSU alums who were recognized for “exceptional achievement and contributions to their professions and communities.”

Nessler attended the Mankato campus in the mid 1970s, graduating in 1977 from the Mavericks mass communications program. A native of St. Charles, MN, the former Vikings radio voice in 1988 and 1989 was teamed with former Vikings TE Stu Voigt to carry Vikings games in those seasons.

From the booth, Nessler has been calling college football for ABC since 1997 and has worked for ESPN as an NBA play-by-play man as well. He called the 2003 NBA Finals and has risen the ranks to the pinnacle of college football broadcasters, now working in a 3-man booth with Bob Griese and Paul Maguire.

Never far from his roots in Southeast Minnesota, Nessler will again play host to a cause close to his heart. The Nessler family will welcome friends to the St. Charles Golf Course in June for the 18th Annual Bob Nessler Memorial Cancer Research Classic in honor of Brad’s father, Bob. Notable guests over the years at the event have been Vikings Scott Studwell and Brad Childress. The event brings Nessler to his hometown for a weekend of socializing and working toward a cure for the brutal disease.

2009 Minnesota Vikings Cheerleaders Named

2009-04-24T09:54:00.002-05:00

We did it again. We selected 34 women to this year’s team. Congratulations to ALL of the women who auditioned this year, to the 62 who made it to the final auditions and to the new 2009 Minnesota Vikings Cheerleaders. It was the hardest day ever deciding the final team because our quality was amazing this year. I seriously wish I could have taken EVERY one of our finalists. That being said – I am thrilled with the new team and can’t wait for 2009!

And here they are...

Vikings Release 2009 Schedule

2009-04-16T08:55:00.003-05:00

The Minnesota Vikings are pleased to announce their 2009 regular season schedule, which can be viewed below.

You can download the schedule in a PDF document by clicking here.

Get your season tickets for the 2009 Vikings season today. Great seats are available beginning at $25 per seat.

Don’t miss the 2009 Miller Lite – Vikings Draft Party on Saturday, April 25th at the Vikings Winter Park Fieldhouse.

2009 Schedule

Preseason

Opponent	Date / Time	Location	Comments
	Friday, August 14 @ 6:30 p.m.	Lucas Oil Stadium	The Vikings will make their first visit to the new Lucas Oil Stadium, which opened in 2008, as they kick things off against Peyton Manning and the Colts.
	Friday, August 21 @ 7 p.m.	Metrodome	Defensive end Jared Allen gets his first crack at his former team as the Vikings welcome the Chiefs to town to kickoff the 2009 home schedule.
	Monday, August 31 @ 7 p.m.	Reliant Stadium	Speaking of playing against former teams, quarterback Sage Rosenfels will return to Houston, where he played for three seasons, on Monday Night Football.
	September 3 or 4	Metrodome	Fans may recall that the Vikings played the Cowboys to conclude the 2008 preseason … they will face each other in the 2009 finale as well, only this time at the Metrodome.

Regular Season

Opponent	Date / Time	Location	Comments
	Sunday, September 13 @ Noon	Cleveland Browns Stadium	Vikings are 10-3 all-time against the Browns, but they haven’t won in Cleveland since a 27-21 victory in 1983.
	Sunday, September 20 @ Noon	Ford Field	Vikings boast an 11-game winning streak against the Lions at home and have a 28-18-1 record in games played at Detroit.
	Sunday, September 27 @ Noon	Metrodome	Teams have met 45 times but haven’t played in the Metrodome since 2003.
	Monday, October 5 @ 7:30 p.m.	Metrodome	The Vikings play their second game of the season agianst an NFC North team, this one against the Packers on Monday Night Football.
	Sunday, October 11 @ Noon	Edward Jones Dome	Vikings are just 8-13 against the Rams on the road and visit St. Louis for the first time since 2003.
	Sunday, October 18 @ Noon	Metrodome	The Ravens will make their 1st-ever visit to the Metrodome and former Vikings C Matt Birk will spend his 1st game on the visitor’s sideline at the Dome.
	Sunday, October 25 @ Noon	Heinz Field	Steelers have won the past two meetings between the franchises, but Vikings hold 8-7 all-time series advantage.
	Sunday, November 1 @ Noon	Lambeau Field	Minnesota heads into the bye week after playing their second game of the season against the Packers, with this one coming on the road.
	Sunday, November 15 @ Noon	Metrodome	Vikings play their second of two division games in a row and will look to hopefully sweep the Lions like they did in 2008.
	Sunday, November 22 @ Noon	Metrodome	Steve Hutchinson goes against Seattle in his second regular season game vs. his former team.
	Sunday, November 29 @ Noon	Metrodome	Vikings and Bears will battle twice in 2008 as Chicago looks to cut into the Vikings 51-43-2 all-time series advantage.
	Sunday, December 6 @ 3:15 p.m.	University of Phoenix Stadium	Vikings return to Arizona for second consecutive season after defeating the Cardinals 35-14 in 2008.
	Sunday, December 13 @ Noon	Metrodome	Bengals visit the Metrodome, where they are winless in five tries, for the first time in 11 seasons. Vikings are 4-0 against Cincinnati at home.
	Sunday, December 20 @ 7:20 p.m.	Bank of America Stadium	Panthers look to avenge a Week 3 regular season defeat from 2008 as the Vikings visit Carolina for the first time since 2005.
	Monday, December 28 @ 7:30 p.m.	Soldier Field	The Vikings are 6-4 vs. the Bears on Monday Night Football.
	Sunday, January 3 @ Noon	Metrodome	Teams have played in ten of the last 11 seasons.

Vikings Help Red River Relief Effort

2009-04-13T09:46:00.000-05:00

Vikings QB Sage Rosenfels has yet to even strap on a Vikings helmet, but the Iowa native has already begun immersing himself into the Minnesota community. He and WR Bobby Wade, along with G Brian Daniels, LS Cullen Loeffler, C John Sullivan, Viktor the Viking and a Vikings cheerleader, visited Grace Church in Eden Prairie on Wednesday to help package 10,000 Easter baskets to be donated to the children affected by the Red River flood.

The Vikings partnered with The Salvation Army for the event and also donated $10,000 to the Red River Relief Fund.

“You know,” Rosenfels said to those gathered, “I’m from Iowa and I know about the kinds of neighbors and friends we all have living here in the Midwest. So it’s no surprise that we are all coming together here to help our neighbors that have been affected by the Red River flood.”

“Kids to the Rescue,” a grassroots organization created by two girls during Hurricane Katrina relief efforts, will deliver the completed Easter baskets throughout the Red River Valley on Friday and Saturday to various locations.

“Over 3,800 bags were filled today with Easter candy to be distributed,” said Darryl Leedom, commander of the Twin Cities Salvation Army. “And it’s only possible because we partner with the Vikings, and we partner with Grace Church and we partner with those who say to The Salvation Army ‘we want to work alongside you, making a difference.’ Right now there are people in the Red River area whose life is a nightmare, but because of today’s initiative hopefully their nightmare can become a dream.”

In addition to packaging Easter baskets, Wade donated 75 Harlem Globetrotters tickets for Friday night’s game at the Target Center to The Salvation Army for distribution to local youth volunteers helping with the flood relief effort. Wade will join the Globetrotters during the widely popular Globetrotter Football portion of the show.

Vikings Preseason Opponents Announced

2009-04-03T11:32:00.002-05:00

The Vikings travel to Indianapolis to open play during the 2009 preseason and play a Monday Night Football game at Houston on August 31. The Vikings will host Kansas City and Dallas to round out the preseason slate. Specific dates for the Indianapolis, Kansas City and Dallas games are still to come.

The Vikings open the 2009 preseason campaign at the perennial AFC power Colts and make their first appearance inside the new Lucas Oil Stadium. The Vikings will play Kansas City for the 15th time in preseason action, the 2nd-most games against any preseason opponent. The Vikings wrap up the preseason against Dallas, the team the Vikings played in the first-ever preseason game in franchise history on August 5, 1961 in Sioux Falls, SD.

Preseason Schedule / Opponents

Week 1
@ Indianapolis // August 13-15

Week 2
vs. Kansas City // August 20-22

Week 3
@ Houston // Monday, Aug. 31 at 7 p.m. CST

Week 4
vs. Dallas // September 3-4

Stadiums provide work for many

2009-03-04T11:02:00.001-06:00

The following article originally appeared in the Pioneer Press and on TwinCities.com on March 1, 2009 and was written by Brian Murphy.

Building legacy projects such as Target Field and TCF Bank Stadium, respective new homes for the Minnesota Twins and University of Minnesota Gophers, is treasured trade in the peripatetic construction business.

More vital than returning baseball and college football outdoors to Minneapolis, they are the only jobs in town for thousands of carpenters, electricians, pipefitters, ironworkers and skilled craftsmen with bleak prospects for maintaining employment during a deepening recession.

"Just lucky to be here because there's no other place to go," said 53-year-old carpenter Rich Lutz, a 27-year construction veteran working at Target Field. "This is the worst it's been since I've been around. Wintertime is sometimes slow. This year, there's nobody working."

Safety priorities and unrelenting schedules allow little time for worrying within the hardhat fraternity of Mortenson Construction, the general contractor for both stadiums.

Still, anxiety was palpable throughout both sites last week as workers focused on finishing the public-private funded projects punctually and within budget while pondering where they will earn their next paychecks.

"I've got a friend who was laid off in St. Paul from an electrical outfit and he's 100th or so on the list so they say he won't go back to work for two years -- two years!" said Target Field electrician Jeff Jones.

About 400 workers are wrapping up TCF Bank Stadium, which is 80 percent complete, down from a peak

of 740 last summer. Only 200 will be on site by May, with more peeling off each day leading up to the Aug. 7 deadline, according to project executive Paul Kitchings.

There are 700 builders at Target Field, where 60 percent of the work is finished. About 850 will be on hand through the summer. The ballpark is scheduled to be completed by March 3, 2010.

The staggered construction phases yield varying concerns among the subcontractors representing 30-plus trade unions. But they are united in a singular hope -- that one more stadium deal can be negotiated at the State Capitol to build a new home for the NFL's Vikings.

The Metropolitan Sports Facilities Commission, which operates the Metrodome, told a House committee last week that building a new stadium for the team on the existing site would create 8,000 more construction jobs -- essentially passing the baton from the Gophers and Twins sites.

Ten union and management workers at Target Field and TCF Bank Stadium interviewed for this story brought up the Vikings project without being prompted. And it is no wonder.

About 7,500 skilled craftsmen and women are idled in the Twin Cities. Projects either are underfinanced because of the credit crisis or delayed by the spiraling economy.

"In my career, I can't remember seeing that many people on the bench," said Daniel Mehls, the Mortenson executive overseeing Target Field.

TCF Bank Stadium ($288 million) and Target Field ($517 million) were the largest windfalls in the 55-year history of Minneapolis-based Mortenson. But standard $10 million to $15 million projects that are the lifeblood of most commercial contractors -- office buildings, apartment complexes, retail stores and health-care clinics -- have dried up.

"There's nothing in the pipeline for that," said Dick Anfang, president of the Minnesota Building and Construction Trades Council, which represents 60,000 trade workers in the state.

Anfang is lobbying the legislature on behalf of his constituents and the Vikings, selling the latest downtown development as a stimulus project.

However, financing the $954 million so-called Metrodome Next with a $700 million public investment has not gained traction among lawmakers struggling with a $4.8 billion budget deficit. Nor has it resonated with a retrenching public.

A January poll by MarketLine Research/In-Touch Survey Systems showed more than 77 percent of Twin Citians disapproved of any sales tax to help pay for a new Vikings stadium while 55 percent preferred that the project be privately funded.

Meanwhile, the hardhats cling to details emerging from the $780 million federal stimulus legislation for building wind farms and other renewable energy facilities that might keep them off the unemployment lines.

"I'm real nervous," said 26-year-old Neil Cooper, a general foreman on the TCF Bank site.

"There is work out there. But do you want to move to California with little kids?"

Cooper lives in Lake Elmo with a 16-month-old son while his wife is expecting their second child in April.

Others have faith that the designers and suits at diversified Mortenson will produce enough work for them to weather a downturn that has not bottomed out.

"We could all sit here and mope," said laborer Beth Bombardo of Lakeville, standing in the doorway of what will be the office of Twins manager Ron Gardenhire. "That doesn't do anybody any good. It's unproductive. It doesn't do our families any good, either."