U.S. Bank Stadium managers say the stadium’s roof needs to be replaced after a 2023 hailstorm caused damage.
The Minnesota Sports Facilities Authority, which oversees the stadium home to the Minnesota Vikings and host to high-profile concerts, said that insurance will cover the costs to fix the ethylene-tetrafluoroethylene roof that has “become the defining visual element of the stadium,” according to documents posted earlier this month. (Ethylene-tetrafluoroethylene, or ETFE, is a building material that often replaces heavy glass.)
The Authority said the damage does not present any danger to the public or impact the stadium’s structural integrity. Earlier this month, they issued a request for proposals from roofing companies. Those proposals are due on June 25, and the Authority will select a firm next month.
The Minnesota Sports Facilities Authority was established by the state legislature in 2012 after lawmakers allocated more than $300 million to help build the stadium. In a statement, the Authority said they do not believe the repairs will lead to a substantial use of public funds.
U.S Bank Stadium is nearly a decade old and cost more than $1 billion to construct. In 2010, the inflatable roof of the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome collapsed under heavy snow and ice.
“The immediate repairs performed following the hail event are not considered as a long-term solution to last the life of the venue,” a spokesperson for the Authority said in a statement. “The current condition will not cause any impact to the public attending events at U.S. Bank Stadium.”
Documents posted by the Authority don’t indicate when the project will be complete or how much it will cost. The first Vikings home preseason game is slated for August 22.
The authority said the schedule for the long-term repair or replacement has not been determined.
