Appeals court: Minneapolis cannot operate park outside U.S. Bank Stadium
The Minnesota Court of Appeals ruled Tuesday that the city of Minneapolis violated its own charter by operating the Commons, a 4.2-acre park outside U.S. Bank Stadium.
Activist John Hayden and former council member Paul Ostrow filed suit in 2017, arguing that the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board — not the city — must operate the Commons. A lower court sided with them, and a three-judge appellate panel agreed.
The green space was developed with public money, and Ostrow said the Vikings should be paying rent to use it.
"This was an add-on beyond all the subsidies for the stadium itself," Ostrow said.
In a statement, interim City Attorney Erik Nilsson said the city is in compliance with the court order, and the park board has been operating the Commons since May 1, 2019.
The park board contracted with an organization called Green Minneapolis to operate the space and will consider an extension of the contract through the end of March at its meeting on Wednesday, a board spokesperson said in a statement.
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