Minnesota Vikings owners finally makes a progress in developing Eagan at NFL headquarters 

Minnesota Vikings owners finally makes a progress in developing Eagan at NFL headquarters

Owners of the Minnesota Vikings have nearly completed development of another large-scale live work game around the team’s Eagan facility. Owners of the Minnesota Vikings have nearly completed development of another massive live-action game around the team’s Eagan facility. -Jerry Holt, Star Tribune

What began in 2018 as the new Eagan home of the Minnesota Vikings on the site of the former global headquarters of Northwest Airlines has evolved into a growing neighborhood with apartments, a hotel, corporate offices and year-round entertainment opportunities.

Two years before opening the new headquarters, MV Ventures, led by Viking owners Mark, Zygi and Leonard Wilf, went before the Eagan City Council and won approval for a multi-year plan for Viking Lakes, a live work-and-play development. 200 years old. acre lot south of Interstate 494 and east of Dodd Rodd.

Don Becker, the Vikings’ vice president of real estate, is now trying to create a sense of belonging; to the region, I feel proud of where I live; I am proud of my work andquot; he said in an interview last week.

The second phase, which included housing and tennis, basketball, volleyball and pickleball courts, is nearing completion. One building will open on December 1st and another is scheduled to open on May 1st, adding a total of 230 apartments to the area.

At the end of the second phase, Becker said 40 percent of the site is still being developed. In November, MV Ventures will ask the city council for preliminary approval for a third phase, which will include additional apartments.

Eagan Mayor Mike Maguire and Councilman Gary Hansen welcomed the project from the start, but they’re still surprised by how it got off the ground. andquot;When you take such a broad vision with a developer with a big plan, you know in advance that there will be changes and developments to the plan,andquot; Maguire said in an interview Thursday. The changes were small, however, and Maguire said he was pleased to see the areas surrounding the site benefit from the new energy.

For example, new restaurants are opening in buildings near Dodd Road. Thomson Reuters has announced that it is leasing space and moving into the Prime Therapeutics headquarters next to the Viking Lakes development.

Hansen, who compared Eagan’s development to Disney World in 2016, is pleased. andquot;Development of the Viking Lakes will continue to strengthen our community and vibrancy, entertainment and shopping opportunities, and we will benefit from growth in the area, including housing, people, economic development and an expanded tax base,andquot; he said in a statement.

The second phase included residences and tennis, basketball, volleyball and pickleball courts. The second phase had apartments and tennis, basketball, volleyball and pickleball courts. Jerry Holt, Star Tribune

On a sunny, tree-lined day, the gently winding paths in and around the development had the whole autumnal palette, lunchtime joggers, dog walkers and cyclists.

andquot;it became a target a lot,andquot; said Becker, who keeps his bike to ride around when visiting from New Jersey.

Maguire said he was amazed at how the developers were able to revitalize the entire area while maintaining a park-like feel for those who already live and work there. andquot;They’ve done a good job of making sure the current residents don’t feel like they’re living in a construction zone,andquot; he said.

By the end of the second phase, the plot will have 487 apartments with an indoor pool, an outdoor pool, a bowling alley, a golf simulator and a clubhouse, as well as many outdoor services.

The third phase will add 327 apartments in three buildings with more amenities for people who live and work on site, said Kyle Chank, vice president of MV Ventures.

Possible future amenities include new entertainment, retail, shopping and a second restaurant, Chank said.

This is in addition to what the Vikings are already bringing to the Twin Cities Orthopedics Performance Center, their new home with five outdoor fields, a museum, retail, a stadium and public events during the winter. These events include pole swimming, curling, pond hockey, an ice maze and a winter market.

Development and growth continued during the pandemic as the Omni Viking Lakes Hotel opened and thrived on the ground floor next to Ann Kimand’s Kyndred Hearth restaurant.

The Wilfs, who developed real estate in New Jersey before buying the Vikings, own other land in the city that they are considering, Becker said.

Those future projects include the two parking lots north of USA Bank Stadium, the only remaining tailgates, and the Eden Prairie and former headquarters of the team at Interstate 494 and Highway 169.

Becker said they will pursue those sites as the market and time permits. He said the former Winter Park site likely has a mixed-use residential building, but he wasn’t so clear on what the tailgate lot might hold.

Short Hills, N.J.-based MV Ventures took over the site when it was the fledgling company’s campus when Delta Air Lines moved the remnants of Northwest Airlines operations south to Atlanta. The development did not receive public support or tax incentives.