Minneapolis mulls spending to plan park near Vikings stadium

The Minneapolis City Council next week will consider spending $1.8 million for design work on a new downtown park planned near the Vikings Stadium.

The city hopes eventually to be paid back through private fundraising. The total price tag to build the park, currently being called "The Commons," is estimated at around $20 million.

Only $1.2 million has been raised so far, mostly from the Vikings. But Council Member Jacob Frey says the non-profit created to manage the space can make a compelling case to potential donors.

"The city as a whole is going to benefit tremendously from this space. It is going to be, in essence, our city's kitchen table," Frey said. "It's where everyone is going to congregate and meet, and I think that both businesses and individuals from around the city would be behooved to dump in some money."

The non-profit Greening Downtown Minneapolis hasn't yet determined how much it will cost to operate the park. The Minneapolis Park Board estimated those costs could run as much as $2 million a year.