Mediation set for November in Vikings stadium dispute

The state agency overseeing the construction of the new Vikings stadium will meet with a mediator next month to settle a cost dispute with the builder.

Michele Kelm-Helgen, chair of the Minnesota Sports Facilities Authority, told a panel of lawmakers Wednesday that her agency and Mortenson Construction are in a dispute over $15 million in costs.

The $1 billion price tag for the whole project includes nearly $30 million in contingency funding. Mortenson Construction is asking for about half of that to cover changes to the project.

Kelm-Helgen said the stadium has been completely bid out, so the bills in dispute probably won't get much bigger before the work is finished.

Both sides will meet with a mediator Nov. 9 to attempt to resolve their differences.

The construction contract set a fixed price for the project, and state law bans any more taxpayer money going into the stadium. If the two sides don't agree, the construction contract requires them to submit to binding arbitration.