U.S. Bank Stadium will receive $1.3 million in upgrades, with the projects including a women’s locker room, expanded kitchen space, and additional cooling for a video production area.
First opening last year as the home of the Minnesota Vikings, U.S. Bank Stadium is receiving improvements that address a number of areas. The expanded kitchen space is for the Hyundai Club–the largest club area in U.S. Bank Stadium–while the cooling system will be installed in the video production area. Another project is the women’s locker room, which will be the result of the build out of an empty space.
Funding for these projects was approved on Thursday by the Minnesota Sports Facilities Authority (MSFA). More from The Star Tribune:
The most expensive project approved Thursday was the kitchen adjustments in the Hyundai Club on the north side of the building at a cost of $532,000. The changes will expand the kitchen and cut down on the equipment that must be moved around for events by concessionaire Aramark. “We think it’s a very wise investment,” [MSFA exeuctive director Rick] Evans said.
The Hyundai Club is the largest club in the stadium at almost 20,000 square feet. The space between the 30-yard lines on the lower level can accommodate 1,000 guests. The space is often used for social events such as banquets and training sessions.
In the video production area, new cooling systems will cost $442,000. “The temperature in there has gotten extremely high and is frying that equipment,” Evans said.
Finally, the board agreed to build out empty space for a women’s locker room. The Vikings have female coaches and trainers who need the space, as does the one female referee in the NFL if she works a game at the stadium. “It’s probably overdue,” Evans said of the locker room.
MSFA is tapping into its annual capital improvement fund to cover the cost of these projects. U.S. Bank Stadium will host its first Vikings’ pre-season game of the year on August 27, with the regular-season opener scheduled for September 11.
Image courtesy Minnesota Vikings.