The Sports Xchange

The Minnesota Vikings signed a purchase agreement for a 185-acre site in Eagan, Minn., and will evaluate the property as a potential location for the team’s future headquarters and training facility.

The team announced the agreement Friday for the former Northwest Airlines headquarters property. The Vikings have been looking to move from their 12 acres in Eden Prairie because of a need for more outdoor playing fields and office space.

“As we have previously discussed, the existing Winter Park training facility poses space and flexibility challenges for the Vikings as we continue to grow and evolve,” Vikings chief operating officer Kevin Warren said in a statement. “While we are evaluating a variety of options to accommodate the long-term needs of our football team and the organization at-large, this property is intriguing for several reasons. Not only does this location have tremendous space and flexibility for future growth, but it also offers proximity to both Minneapolis and St. Paul downtowns, as well as the airport.

“With this agreement in place, we now have an opportunity to perform a thorough evaluation of the site. We continue to appreciate our strong relationship with the community of Eden Prairie and the positive environment the city’s leadership has created over the past 30-plus years.”

The team did not disclose the price for the property. The Northwest Airlines land went on the market in 2009 for $24.5 million, after Delta Air Lines acquired Northwest. The Excelsior Group, an Eden Prairie-based developer, bought the land in June for $10.4 million.

Vikings vice president Lester Bagley told the Star Tribune that the site is “intriguing” as a new home.

“The (current) Winter Park site is very challenging,” Bagley said. “There’s not enough flexibility for what we want to do.”