Star-Trib land eyed for stadium

Avista Capital Partners might be interested in acquiring the Minneapolis Star Tribune for reasons beyond its considerable newspaper and Internet presence, or so goes the buzz in the Twin Cities business world.

The Star Tribune also owns five square blocks of semi-prime real estate west of the Metrodome, most of which is surface parking.

And that real estate has caught the eye of New York developer and Minnesota Vikings owner Zygi Wilf. Wilf wants to replace the Metrodome with another downtown Minneapolis stadium. He previously approached top Star Tribune management about its availability.

The new owners could probably fetch a pretty good price on land currently valued at $20 million to $25 million by Hennepin County.

Vikings representative Lester Bagley declined to comment last week about whether the Vikings have tried to contact Avista. But he said the Star Tribune is a "key property owner in the mix" for plans to redevelop downtown Minneapolis, a process that could produce a new Vikings stadium.

Click on the headline to read this news in the Star Tribune