A life without the Vikings seems odd to many people, and threat of them leaving is a big reason why people are backing the new stadium. But today it was reported that the Minneapolis is again, after Target Field, going to skirt a voter referendum and raise people’s taxes without their agreement.
The economics argument, when made by stadium backers, says there would be a detriment if a franchise left town. Most other economists disagree with this as seen in other cities.
How much is an NFL franchise worth? Here’s two articles for and against subsidizing for a franchise’s existence:
http://www.dailynorseman.com/2011/6/7/2210408/moneygrabber-looking-at-the-vikings-value-to-minnesota