Vikings withdraw street name change request

Published 10:34 am Saturday, March 19, 2016

MINNEAPOLIS — The Minnesota Vikings organization has withdrawn its request to rename a street in front of the new stadium after some resistance from the city of Minneapolis. 

The city planning commission this week denied the team’s application to rename three blocks of Chicago Avenue Vikings Way. Team vice president Lester Bagley said the name change has been in the works for several years and wasn’t controversial until this week. Bagley said he’s not sure the Vikings “have the stomach for the tenor that exists” at City Hall over the issue.

Bagley said the franchise will pay “significant dollars” to reconstruct Chicago Avenue, even though it’s a city street and is not obligated to do so.

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