City Pages takes a look at that question, delving into a 2003 study by the city of Minneapolis. City planners, already foreseeing a day when the Twins and Vikings wouldn't be there, say the Dome's demise would open up a huge opportunity for new housing and business as well as a downtown park.

City officials say merging the two funds will save Minneapolis property tax payers tens-of-millions of dollars a year. Mayor R.T. Rybak says the savings from the merger will help support no increases in the city's property tax levy.

As the Vikings continue to push for a new stadium in Arden Hills, the city of Minneapolis offered up new plans Tuesday. Mayor RT Rybak says Minneapolis can contribute $300-million towards a new stadium. Rybak also says the city can offer "all of the revenue options that are necessary for the Vikings"

The Star Tribune is citing multiple sources who say the Vikings, Gov. Mark Dayton and Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak have reached an agreement to construct a $975 million stadium at the current Metrodome site. The newspaper reports the Vikings would pay $427 million, the state would contribute $398 million and Minneapolis would pay $150 million. An official announcement is expected sometime next week. The Legislature, Minneapolis City Council and the NFL would also need to approve the stadium agreement.

Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak says building a new stadium on the site of the Metrodome would be more than $200 million cheaper than building one in Arden Hills. Vikings officials doubt that figure. But Ramsey County Commissioner Tony Bennett worries lawmakers are no longer open-minded about where to locate a stadium.

Passengers used Twin Cities transit 60 million times for the first nine months of this year. Metro Transit officials say that’s a four percent increase from the year before. Bus riders drove the increase.

Some city and business leaders want to revamp the downtown walkway, saying routine repairs to fix cracks and water damage are now amounting to millions of dollars a year. The Downtown Journal says the city would ask the state to kick in $25 million, with the private sector and city covering the rest.

The Gopher 5 ticket matching all five numbers was sold Friday. A lottery spokeswoman told the Associated Press this is the second million-dollar ticket sold in the past two months.