ST. PAUL, Minn., Aug. 31 (UPI) -- The Minnesota Vikings say their proposed $1 billion stadium will no longer feature a retractable roof, as the team seeks to lower the final price tag.
The proposal for the stadium complex in Arden Hills included a retractable roof when it was put forward in the spring, the St. Paul Pioneer Press reported.
"The plan has evolved," Lester Bagley, the team's vice president of public affairs and stadium development, said Tuesday.
The team is still negotiating with state lawmakers, the governor's office and Ramsey County officials over how to pay for the stadium, and the roof has been seen as a $30 million bargaining chip, the Pioneer Press said.
Under the current proposal the Vikings would contribute $407 million and the state would put in $300 million toward the new stadium.
The proposed deal includes a half-cent sales tax increase for Ramsey County, the Minneapolis Star Tribune reported.
The Ramsey County Charter Commission says it considering a possible ballot question on the sales tax, which voters would likely reject, the Tribune said.
