Latest on a track in Minnesota: Minnesota Governor Mark Dayton says even if a new Minnesota Vikings stadium is not built in Arden Hills, he is still interested in cleaning up the old Army munitions site. So how might the site be developed? Sources tell 5 EYEWITNESS News a $300 million NASCAR motor-sports complex is being discussed. Ramsey County Commissioner Tony Bennett confirms commissioners have had meetings with NASCAR backers. Bennett also says several entities have shown interest in building casinos on the property. Despite all the interest, the county and the Vikings still prefer to build a stadium on the site.(KSTP.com)(1-25-2012)

Latest on Minnesota track project: Two influential City Council members are taking different stances on a 90,000-capacity, $225-million NASCAR-ready racetrack proposed last month for Lino Lakes’ rural northern end. Track developers are currently looking to the council for approval before taking further steps, but they aren’t getting it yet from the mayor. “I’ve been to tracks, and they’re incredibly noisy,” said Mayor Jeff Reinert. “I can’t see residents wanting to hear the roar of race cars in the evening. I just don’t see it for Lino Lakes.” On the other hand, Councilman Dave Roeser has voiced enthusiasm for the project, touting massive tax benefits (city staff estimated $1.9 million per year) and a potential boon in area service industry jobs. “When you’re seeing numbers like this, it’s hard to look away,” Roeser said. To get resident opinions on the track, the first-term councilman is busy distributing a survey. In the meantime, area residents chime in on the plan.
Developers who pitched the project to Lino Lakes last month say noise issues are resolvable. Geographically, the track would be bordered by I-35E to the west, and vast wetlands to the east. “There are a number of modern methods we can use to deal with noise,” said Scott Quick, the project’s director of development. Quick represents International Motorsports Entertainment and Development Corporation (IMEDC), a Minneapolis-based group that has pitched the idea of a Twin Cities motorsports facility for several years. Quick says the Twin Cities market is untapped as the largest metro area without such a facility. Although IMEDC doesn’t have NASCAR’s word to host events at the track, Quick says if his firm builds it, they will come. Even without NASCAR, a future Lino Lakes track could host a variety of events, functioning as a “mecca” for performing arts, trade shows and various conventions, said Roeser, the Lino Lakes councilman.(Quad Community Press)(9-25-2010)