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You have not heard anything lately about Reggie Fowler and his desire to buy the Vikings and to be the general partner and operate the club.
Well Zygmunt Wilf, the big money man in Fowler's group, has made it clear to the NFL that he, and not Fowler, will be the general partner. The other investors in the purchase of the team from Red McCombs will be two other New Jersey real estate tycoons, David Mandelbaum and Alan Landis, and that while Fowler will be with the group, he will have only a minority interest.
Nobody knows whether local automobile magnate Denny Hecker will still be a member of the group.
Wilf will have to invest 30 percent of $475 million -- around $142.5 million of his own money -- to be the lead partner. This will not be a problem for Wilf, but Arizona businessman Fowler can't come up with that kind of cash.
Some time ago, when Fowler was going to be the general partner, Wilf did visit with Timberwolves owner Glen Taylor and tried to get him to be an investor. Taylor told Wilf that he had his own group, and that he wanted to be the general partner and run the team.
Wilf knows that his chances of getting state aid to build a stadium would improve with Taylor involved. The NFL big wheels would also like to have some local ownership.
So don't be surprised if Taylor does get involved.
Meanwhile, Wilf was in town Wednesday and spent time with Bart Rehbein, whose family-owned company has 362 acres in Lino Lakes.
The word is that the Blaine property that has been talked about as a site for a stadium and a real estate development is owned by 20 different people. That will be a tough purchase to make. The owners are asking a lot of money for the site.
On the other hand the Rehbein family, as a part of the sale, could be involved in the construction of the projects, and that would give them another advantage in negotiations with the Wilf group.
http://www.startribune.com/stories/507/5386275.html
Well Zygmunt Wilf, the big money man in Fowler's group, has made it clear to the NFL that he, and not Fowler, will be the general partner. The other investors in the purchase of the team from Red McCombs will be two other New Jersey real estate tycoons, David Mandelbaum and Alan Landis, and that while Fowler will be with the group, he will have only a minority interest.
Nobody knows whether local automobile magnate Denny Hecker will still be a member of the group.
Wilf will have to invest 30 percent of $475 million -- around $142.5 million of his own money -- to be the lead partner. This will not be a problem for Wilf, but Arizona businessman Fowler can't come up with that kind of cash.
Some time ago, when Fowler was going to be the general partner, Wilf did visit with Timberwolves owner Glen Taylor and tried to get him to be an investor. Taylor told Wilf that he had his own group, and that he wanted to be the general partner and run the team.
Wilf knows that his chances of getting state aid to build a stadium would improve with Taylor involved. The NFL big wheels would also like to have some local ownership.
So don't be surprised if Taylor does get involved.
Meanwhile, Wilf was in town Wednesday and spent time with Bart Rehbein, whose family-owned company has 362 acres in Lino Lakes.
The word is that the Blaine property that has been talked about as a site for a stadium and a real estate development is owned by 20 different people. That will be a tough purchase to make. The owners are asking a lot of money for the site.
On the other hand the Rehbein family, as a part of the sale, could be involved in the construction of the projects, and that would give them another advantage in negotiations with the Wilf group.
http://www.startribune.com/stories/507/5386275.html
