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The head of the public panel overseeing construction of a new Minnesota Vikings stadium warned today that the schedule for the project could  be in jeopardy.

Minnesota Sports Facilities Authority chairwoman Michele Kelm-Helgen said that the July 2016 completion date for the new $1 billion stadium might be delayed if Vikings officials don’t quickly resume negotiations on the lease and development agreements. The team broke off negotiations this week until the completion of a recently launched financial audit of owner Zygi Wilf is completed.

"Our schedule could slip," Kelm-Helgen said.

 The authority hired a lawyer last week to review Wilf's finances, in response to a New Jersey court ruling against the Vikings owner on a decades old real estate dispute in that state. The review should be completed by the middle of next month.

Minnesota Vikings spokesman Lester Bagley  insisted that construction and the team's financing plans remain on schedule. The team's share is $477 million. But Bagley said the due diligence inquiry makes it difficult to negotiate what he called "fundamental partnership agreements."

"We have to be at the table as partners," Bagley said. "So until this due diligence inquiry gets completed and they have the confidence in our organization and our ownership that we are partners that can go forward, then there's no point in having these discussions."

But a statement issued Friday afternoon from the MSFA's due diligence counsel Peter Carter said the Wilfs have not provided requested information:

Groundbreaking for the stadium is scheduled for Nov. 7.

Here's a statement from from Kelm-Helgen:

Tim Pugmire

Author

Stadium authority says Vikings broke off lease, development negotiations

Vikings stadium schedule could be delayed after team breaks off talks

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