usb stadium news (yah, its the offseason)

Hail damage is forcing U.S. Bank Stadium owners to repair a sizable swath of its roof.

The Minnesota Sports Facilities Authority (MSFA), which owns the stadium, issued a request for proposals earlier this month to replace a translucent section that covers 60% of the roof.

The roof was damaged from a storm on Aug. 11, 2023, that pummeled the Twin Cities with large chunks of hail as big as 2½ inches in diameter. An engineering firm determined the damage does not affect the overall structural performance or safety of the roof, according to the request for proposals.

“All Minnesotans can be confident that the roof at U.S. Bank Stadium is safe, that proactive steps are in place to preserve its unique environment, and the MSFA’s financial safeguards have protected this public investment,” a statement from the MSFA said.

The section to be replaced is made of ethylene tetrafluoroethylene, which among NFL stadiums was first used at U.S. Bank Stadium, according to the MSFA. The roof was designed to withstand Minnesota weather events, including hail.

An estimate of the cost was not available. The MSFA said it expects insurance to cover a portion of the project and that the “substantial use of public funds” would not be required.

U.S. Bank Stadium has made news on several occasions for its repairs and improvements. Stadium management has had to contend with migrating birds crashing into the glass, replace windows that were broken from a spring thaw and build multi-million-dollar custom curtains to block an excessive amount of sunlight from entering the stadium during the 2019 NCAA Final Four.

Last year, the Minnesota Vikings said they wanted $20 million a year in tax revenue from electronic pulltab gambling to cover an anticipated $300 million in maintenance over the coming decade. STRIB

Still beat this lol!

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