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Panels cover part of the field inside the snow-damaged Metrodome. The landlords of the stadium Metrodome voted unanimously Thursday to replace the snow-damaged roof.
AP PHOTO
MINNEAPOLIS — The landlords of the Metrodome voted unanimously Thursday to replace the snow-damaged roof of the venerable stadium, opting for a more time-consuming fix that could disrupt the Minnesota Vikings’ preseason schedule.
The Metropolitan Sports Facilities Commission approved a recommendation from engineers who said they worried simply repairing several torn panels of the stadium’s Teflon roof wouldn’t be enough to prevent another failure.
Work could get underway by the middle of March with a goal of finishing by Aug. 1, at an estimated cost of $18.3 million. Dome officials said all but a $25,000 deductible will be covered by insurance. The NFL’s preseason schedule hasn’t been released, but the Vikings could be affected if the roof work takes longer than the commission hopes.
In a statement, the Vikings said they support the roof replacement but said it “is not a long-term stadium solution” for them. The team is pursuing state legislation to pay for and build a new stadium, and lawmakers at the Capitol are readying a bill that could debut this month.
Vikings vice president Lester Bagley said the team has talked to the University of Minnesota about playing a couple exhibition games at TCF Bank Stadium if the new roof isn’t ready.
The Metrodome roof collapsed in the early morning hours of Dec. 13, at the tail end of a snowstorm that pounded the region for about 24 hours straight.