The Minnesota Vikings might have to spend another playing at TCF Stadium as the idea of dead birds may delay the constriction of the team’s new stadium.
The issue of the new Minnesota Vikings stadium being a lethal deathtrap for birds was raised earlier last year as the plans revealed the stadium’s design as basically being a giant terrarium with tons of glass over the top and sides. Unfortunately, birds tend to run into big glass windows and lots of dead birds could be a realistic problem for the stadium. There are also bird advocate groups who want the stadium construction to be replaced with fritted glass, which may make the giant glass expanse easier to avoid for birds.
However, the Minnesota Sports Facilities Authority says it would cost over $60 million to make that switch and naturally arguing back is bird advocates who say it would only take a mere $1 million to switch glass types.
Per ESPN:
"Michele Kelm-Helgen, Chairwoman of the Minnesota Sports Facilities Authority, said Friday, “If you look at Mortenson (Construction), their subcontractors, all of our consultants and staff that are working on this project — and you’re extending the whole project from two to six months — you’re looking at costs that would be anywhere from $25 (million) to $60 million and potentially higher.”"
Part of the cost, as revealed in a CBS Sports story on the topic, is lost rent and potential legal action resulting from delays in the construction. In other words, that $60 million figure may or may not include a lot of possible, projected, maybe costs, not purely replacing the glass and the glass’s actual material cost.
According to a story by Pro Football Talk, local manufacturing firms have produced several films that could be placed on the glass and deter birds from flying into it. Testing is to take place in cooperation with the University of Minnesota, but the Minnesota Sports Facilities Authority has had no comment on using film to change the glass issue.
The new Minnesota stadium was set to be one of the most unique stadiums in the NFL, if not the most unique, but now it’s also in one of the more unique fights over a stadium anyone could have. The challenge is obviously to keep with the original vision of the stadium, while considering bird safety. It’s possible the outcome will be that it’s not worth the time or expense to keep birds safe from flying into the glass. Let’s just hope Vikings fans won’t have to look out for dead birds falling on their heads as they head in for a game. That’s much worse than snow.
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