New Vikings Stadium Groundbreaking Set For December 3rd

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) - The groundbreaking for the new Minnesota Vikings stadium will be on Tuesday, Dec. 3.

The Minnesota Sports Facilities Authority confirmed the date Tuesday. It's the official start of construction on the nearly $1 billion football stadium that will be built at the current Metrodome site.

The Vikings will finish their current season in the Metrodome, with the last home game scheduled for Dec. 29. The stadium is likely to be demolished in January or February.

The team will play the 2014 and 2015 seasons at TCF Bank Stadium on the University of Minnesota campus. The new stadium is supposed to be ready for the 2016 season.

The Sports Facilities Authority is meeting Friday to approve a guaranteed maximum price agreement of $975 million with builder Mortenson Construction.