Section 137.54 Conditions for Payment to University

MINNESOTA STATUTES AND CODES

Section 137.54 Conditions for Payment to University

137.54 CONDITIONS FOR PAYMENT TO UNIVERSITY.

(a) Before the commissioner may make the first payment to the board authorized in this section, the commissioner must certify that the board has received at least $110,750,000 in pledges, gifts, sponsorships, and other nonstate general fund revenue support for the construction of the stadium. On July 1 of each year after certification by the commissioner, but no earlier than July 1, 2007, and for so long thereafter as any bonds issued by the board for the construction of the stadium are outstanding, the state must transfer to the board up to $10,250,000 to reimburse the board for its stadium costs, provided that bonds issued to pay the state's share of such costs shall not exceed $137,250,000. Up to $10,250,000 is appropriated annually from the general fund for the purpose of this section. The appropriation of up to $10,250,000 per year may be made for no more than 25 years. The board must certify to the commissioner the amount of the annual payments of principal and interest required to service each series of bonds issued by the university for the construction of the stadium, and the actual amount of the state's annual payment to the university shall equal the amount required to service the bonds representing the state's share of such costs. Except to the extent of the annual appropriation described in this section, the state is not required to pay any part of the cost of designing or constructing the stadium.

(b) The board must certify to the commissioner that the per-semester student fee contribution to the stadium will be at a fixed level coterminous with bonds issued by the board to meet the student share of the design construction of the stadium and that the student fee will not be increased to meet construction cost overruns.

(c) Before the first payment is made under paragraph (a), the board must certify to the commissioner that a provision for affordable access for university students to the university sporting events held at the football stadium has been made.