The Minnesota Vikings' move to Eagan drew closer to reality this week as the team submitted extensive design plans to City Hall to take over the one-time headquarters of Northwest Airlines.
Mayor Mike Maguire highlighted the arrival of the development plan in his state of the city address Thursday, while also emphasizing the need to make sure details can be worked out for both sides.
"There's great community excitement to make Eagan the new home for the Minnesota Vikings," Maguire said in a statement. The team's current headquarters and practice facilities are at Winter Park in Eden Prairie.
Kevin Warren, the Vikings' chief operating officer, said the Wednesday submission of more than 200 pages in design details to the city of Eagan makes the courtship official. "This is where we start working through a formal relationship," he said, adding that the aim is to construct a "best in class" development and a "community asset" with a strong bond to the region.
The move to Eagan would give the team roots, because unlike the new $1.1 billion U.S. Bank Stadium where the team will start play in August, the suburban land and headquarters would belong to Vikings owners Mark and Zygi Wilf.
Since the Vikings announced buying the Eagan land last August, the team and city planners have worked behind the scenes to answer questions and create two extensive documents: The Northeast Eagan Development Plan and the Design Guidelines.
The plans detail seven discrete parcels for development. The team's piece, and the first project, sits at the north-central part of the site.
Steve Poppen, the team's chief financial officer, said it's unclear which piece will come next, but the plans include a conference center hotel, a boutique hotel, smaller retailers, offices, bike and pedestrian trails and high-density housing.