Will NCAA Final Four Have Suburban Impact?

The Final Four is coming to the Twin Cities.

The bounce of basketballs could also mean a bounce in tourism for the Northwest suburbs.

“The whole impact on the Minneapolis-St. Paul regional area is going to be huge,” said Josh Anderson of the Minneapolis Northwest Convention and Visitors Bureau. “

The Final Four’s economic impact is projected to be $142 million. Local tourism experts predict that some of the money will flow into both the Brooklyns and Maple Grove.

“You can get downtown from Brooklyn Center in maybe 10 minutes,” Anderson said. “Maple Grove around 20, but there’s free parking. There’s easy in and outs. Usually you get a little bit lower hotel rates.”

Anderson says more hotel rooms will be booked in the area and restaurants, hotels, and retail could benefit from the 94,000 visitors who will be coming to the state.

Close to Minneapolis

Meanwhile, those fanatics need a place to eat and some other options while staying in the area.

“It’s always the hope that they come into our shops and do some shopping when they’re not at the games,” Anderson said.

Not only can fans be part of the hype and hoopla in downtown Minneapolis, but they can save some bucks while staying in the suburbs.

“People are really starting to see the value of sports in Minnesota and how well we can host these events,” Anderson said. “The more that keeps growing, the more events we’ll get and it’s definitely going to have a huge impact on the northwest suburbs.”

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