Stadium planners host environmental open house tonight at Metrodome

Pivoting doors on downtown side of new Vikings stadium (HKS Architects)
Stadium interior
Pivoting doors on downtown side of new Vikings stadium (HKS Architects)

Fans, neighbors and others can get an up-close look at the impact the new "multi-purpose" stadium will have on the east end of downtown Minneapolis tonight.

The Minnesota Sports Facilities Authority is hosting an open house to talk about its draft Environmental Impact Statement, a 389-page summary of the legal, environmental and historical situation that building a new stadium will present. The report addresses traffic flow, air pollution, ground water quality, visual impact, garbage, noise and even odors.

The MSFA and environmental consultants will be answering questions and taking comments tonight, from 5 to 7 p.m, in the Vikings lounge, on the east end of the Metrodome.

Here's what MSFA chairwoman Michele Kelm-Helgen has to say about it.

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"What we're doing is getting comments. This is the public comment period. We're getting comments back from the city, so changes could be made based on that, and certainly changes could be made based on public and neighborhood comments and questions. I think it's also a good opportunity for people to learn a little more about project and the schedule and some of the details surrounding it."

The event is an open house, so there won't be a big presentation at the beginning. Written responses to the EIS -- including an expected response from the DNR the potential for fatal bird collisions with the new glassy exterior of the building -- are due by June 6.

Here are the details on tonight's event.