Minnesota United FC scored a key victory on Thursday when Minnesota's Senate Tax Committee approved tax breaks for their new downtown St. Paul stadium, which will begin construction later this year. The matter will now go to the full Minnesota Senate for approval.
The tax exemption would last 50 years, which is the length of the team's lease of the city-owned stadium. Lawmakers stipulated that the stadium could not be used as anything other than a Major League Soccer stadium in order for it to qualify for the tax exemptions.
There's no word on how much the tax breaks are expected to total, but the city of St. Paul has already committed $18 million toward public infrastructure for the project. Though Minnesota are paying for the stadium themselves, the tax breaks, if they go through, would make the site of the stadium in St Paul's Midway neighborhood "property tax exempt" and make construction materials for the stadium exempt from sales tax, which is not uncommon in stadium construction projects.
Minnesota United FC plan to break ground on the new $150 million, 21,500-seat stadium in St. Paul's Midway area in June. Minnesota, who currently plays in the North American Soccer League, is expected to begin play in MLS by 2018.
