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MINNEAPOLIS - Target Field (39,021)

164K views 381 replies 115 participants last post by  brewerfan386 
#1 · (Edited by Moderator)
MLB

Minnesota Twins

3x Champion:
1924, 1987, 1991


Revised renders and plans for new Minnesota Twins baseball park

pics courtesy of thanks to Avian001







new LRT station on the right


Site plan, showing the entry plaza to be built over I-394, between the existing A & B Ramps:







http://www.ballparks.com/baseball/american/minbpk.htm

Tenant: Minnesota Twins (AL)
Opening: April 2010
Status: Groundbreaking expected in August 2007
Style: Open air
Surface: Grass
Capacity: 40,000 (baseball only)

Architect: HOK Sport (Kansas City) and Hammel, Green and Abrahamson Inc. (Minneapolis)
Construction: M.A. Mortenson Co. (Minneapolis)
Owner: Minnesota Ballpark Authority
Cost: $522 million
Public financing: Approximately $392 million from a 0.15 percent sales tax in Hennepin County
Private financing: $130 million from the Twins
Lease: 30 years


Location: In the Warehouse District, just north of Target Center in downtown Minneapolis. Left field (NE), 5th Street; 3rd base (NW), BN and Santa Fe Rail Road tracks & HERC Plant (Hennepin County Garbage Burner); 1st base (SW), 5th Street; right field (SE), 3rd Avenue & I-394.

Dimensions: Left field: 328 feet; left-center: 371 feet; center field: 402 feet; right-center: 371 feet; right field: 331 feet.

Fences: Undetermined.





http://minnesota.twins.mlb.com/news...ent_id=1893042&vkey=pr_min&fext=.jsp&c_id=min

04/12/2007 12:00 AM ET
Twins-County ballpark design unveiled
Ballpark to provide one of baseball's most intimate settings

MINNEAPOLIS -- The design of the new Minnesota Twins-Hennepin County ballpark -- a cosmopolitan expression of Minnesota's natural beauty -- was officially presented to the Hennepin County Board today.

Also invited to the morning presentation at the Hennepin County Government Center were members of the Minneapolis City Council as well as members of the Minnesota Ballpark Authority, the agency that will own and oversee operations of the new ballpark.

"What a tremendous, long-awaited day this is for the Minnesota Twins and baseball fans across the Upper Midwest," said Jerry Bell, president of Twins Sports Inc. "Minnesota's new ballpark will be an inviting landmark and an intimate venue providing for a superior baseball experience for future generations of Twins fans."

"People have been waiting a long time to see tangible progress on this project, and today we reward them for their patience, said Hennepin County Commissioner Mike Opat. "This ballpark will not only be a great baseball venue. It will be a great public asset for Minnesota. The design shows that despite our challenges with this site, we will build one of the great urban ballparks in America."

"The Ballpark Authority is excited about working with the Minnesota Twins to create a dynamic new landmark," said Steve Cramer, chairman of the Minnesota Ballpark Authority. "This facility will be an outdoor baseball fan's dream and we believe it will serve as a catalyst to further development on the western edge of downtown."

The one-million-square-foot ballpark will have approximately 40,000 seats. Similar in size to PNC Park in Pittsburgh and AT&T Park in San Francisco, the new Twins ballpark will provide fans with fantastic, baseball-focused sightlines in an intimate setting.

Nestled on an eight-acre site next to the downtown Minneapolis Warehouse District, the ballpark will be an urban architectural icon. The site dictates the ballpark's lean physique, and the design's form follows the function of the events on the field. The seating bowl swathes the field; the exterior walls are shaped by the seating bowl; and a roof canopy spanning nearly the entire seating bowl crowns the ballpark.

"The new ballpark will reflect Minnesota's dynamic blend of urban sophistication and outdoor vitality," said Earl Santee, AIA, HOK Sport senior principal leading the architectural effort. "Minneapolis' downtown skyline will provide dazzling views beyond the outfield, creating a wonderful connection to the city."

The ballpark's exterior is a modern interpretation of the state's natural creations. Hearty, weather resistant, native Minnesotan limestone forms the mass of the ballpark's façade. Glass and metal details punctuate the limestone surface, creating a sophisticated composition.

Fissures, or gaps, in the stone enclosure of the ballpark will create unique viewing opportunities for fans both inside and outside the ballpark.

In addition to a modern façade, the ballpark will illuminate its mark on the urban skyline with distinct entry beacons. These prow-like icons are a direct reflection of the city's style at each of the ballpark's entry points.

"This project creates a new standard in urban integration," said Santee. "The ballpark connects with fans whether they arrive by foot, bike, bus, car, light rail or commuter rail."

Minnesota's new ballpark promises to be one of the most accessible sports facilities in all of American sport. The ballpark site sits at the convergence point of the Light Rail Transit (the existing Hiawatha Line and future lines such as the Central Corridor), the future Northstar commuter rail line, the Cedar Lake Bike Trail and Interstates 394 and I-94. Moreover, fans will take advantage of the more than 20,000 parking spots within a five-block radius of the ballpark.

The new ballpark strives to be one of Major League Baseball's most environmentally friendly ballparks as well, incorporating conservation, sustainability and energy efficiency into the design.

"A green ballpark was one thing hundreds upon hundreds of fans requested," said Rebecca Greco, AIA, HGA principal. "Because this is a ballpark for all of Minnesota, we placed a high priority on fan input. Minnesota's new ballpark will be a defining testament to a team, a state and its people."

HGA is serving as local architect on the project. They are joined by lead design firm HOK Sport, a Kansas City-based architectural firm which has designed 14 new professional ballparks and M. A. Mortenson Company, a local construction firm which is one of the top three national builders of sports venues.

"We look forward to bringing to life this great ballpark that will celebrate outdoor baseball in Minnesota," said Ken Sorensen, vice president and general manager of Mortenson's Minnesota Office. "Working closely with HGA and HOK Sport, we will build a ballpark for all Minnesotans to call home."

The development agreement signed between the Twins and the county gives the County Board approval over ballpark design; the board is expected to review the ballpark design at its April 17 meeting with a final vote scheduled for the April 24 meeting.

Under the state of Minnesota's authorizing legislation, the county's share of financing the ballpark is $350 million for construction and infrastructure costs, while the Twins organization is contributing $130 million. The Hennepin County/Minnesota Twins proposal for a new ballpark was approved by the Minnesota Legislature and signed into law in May 2006. Construction is expected to begin this spring, and the ballpark is scheduled to open for the 2010 season. For more information on the ballpark, visit the new ballpark page.
 
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#2 ·
http://www.startribune.com/509/story/1115358.html

Twins ballpark: Above us ... only sky

The Twins stadium design was made public, with a promise that fans will be more comfortable, able to stay warm and sit in a ballpark that will have the "intimacy" of Chicago's Wrigley Field.
By Mike Kaszuba, Star Tribune

Last update: April 12, 2007 – 10:24 PM

The new home of the Minnesota Twins will feature a limestone finish, a high-definition scoreboard, a place where fans can watch batting practice without buying a ticket and a 20-foot walk from a train platform into the stadium.

Those were just some of the amenities that were put on display Thursday as the Twins, joined by the architects and politicians who are making the stadium come to life, unveiled the ballpark's design to generally upbeat reviews.

From Twins manager Ron Gardenhire to Gretchen Shanight, an Edina woman who said she still thought the outdoor stadium should have a retractable roof, hundreds of onlookers gawked at drawings of the stadium at the Hennepin County Government Center.

"I'm a roof person," said Shanight, who nonetheless added that the new stadium would be an "asset to the city and the region."

Thursday's ceremony came two days after the Twins announced that they would commit more money to the project to help break an impasse over the sale price between the county and the owners of the 8-acre ballpark site in downtown Minneapolis.

Team and county officials declined to release the additional amount the Twins have promised -- the team is already contributing $130 million to the project -- but said that the move would keep the stadium on schedule for a 2010 opening.

Architects and team officials said the 40,000-seat ballpark would be roomier than the Metrodome, the team's indoor home for two decades, with a larger concourse, wider seats, more leg room and fewer seats per row.

Earl Santee, a principal architect for HOK Sport, the lead architectural firm, promised that "in some ways, it'll have the intimacy of Wrigley Field," the longtime home of the Chicago Cubs and one of the most envied baseball stadiums in America.

"Are we going to win games in this ballpark?" asked a smiling Gail Dorfman, a Hennepin County commissioner. Dorfman, who had opposed the use of a countywide sales tax to help fund the stadium, on Tuesday cast a key vote to move the project along.

"It's a fair ballpark as far as its dimensions," replied Santee.

The new ballpark -- with a distance of 404 feet from home plate to the center-field fence -- has essentially the same on-field dimensions as the Metrodome. But in a sign it may be more friendly to hitters than pitchers, the ballpark will have less foul territory.

A heated field

In an attempt to blend in elements that are unique to Minnesota, officials said the ballpark would feature a limestone finish, seasonal plantings atop the outfield fence and a tribute to Twins players from the past.

Santee said that fans could watch the game from indoor areas scattered throughout the stadium and that the field would be heated, meaning that mid-April snowfalls like the one that hit the Twin Cities on Wednesday would melt before accumulating.

Jerry Bell, the Twins' lead stadium negotiator, meanwhile, promised that ticket prices -- while still not set -- would not be "a great deal different" than those currently at the Metrodome.

"It really looks small," Mike Rodriguez, a Minneapolis resident, said as he studied the drawings. "[But] it looks really interesting."


Mike Kaszuba • 612-673-4388 • mkaszuba@startribune.com
 
#7 ·
I love the new gophers stadium plan, and the new twins ballpark is gorgeous (if expensive), but as a Minneapolis resident the $900 million proposal is absurd. I have been a Vikings fan all my life, but financially a retrofit that ads club seats, a few rows, a new Facade and gets rig of the roof makes more sense to me, and could be done for half the price. A metro area of 2 million is going to have a hard time taking the burden of $1.7 billion dollars in stadiums at once.
That having been said I really like the modern facade, and especially the wing shaped roof, I would have like to see the second teir extend all the way down the 3rd base line, and I like a two teir plan with the club seats at the base of the second teir like PNC in Pittsburgh.
 
#11 ·
I love the new gophers stadium plan, and the new twins ballpark is gorgeous (if expensive), but as a Minneapolis resident the $900 million proposal is absurd. I have been a Vikings fan all my life, but financially a retrofit that ads club seats, a few rows, a new Facade and gets rig of the roof makes more sense to me, and could be done for half the price. A metro area of 2 million is going to have a hard time taking the burden of $1.7 billion dollars in stadiums at once.
The state can negotiate a little longer but eventually Los Angeles will look very attractive to Zygi Wilf. As the Twins demonstrated with "contraction" professional sports franchises are more of a privilege a city must work to retain, not a right. Teams [especially the NFL] are insanely profitable and have the upper hand in negotiations. If a franchises home town will not build it a new palace, there is someone else that will.

and the fact its open air in Minny. Bad idea.
The Metrodome is a tomb, if the Twins survived at the Met all those years they will do just fine in this place.

:hug:
 
#9 ·
Alright, let's be honest here for a second. It's butterball-cold in Minnesota during the months of March and April. I don't want to believe that you guys are honestly going to build this stadium. You gotta' be kidding me. IN MINNESOTA? Look for the Twins to have atleast 20-25 postponed games a year due to, not rain, but the weather there in general. It's a nice looking stadium, but you guys should've put a roof on it.
 
#15 ·
I think the lack of a roof will benefit Minnesota in the long run. It should give the team an edge in the early season and perhaps during the playoffs.
 
#21 · (Edited)
"The state can negotiate a little longer but eventually Los Angeles will look very attractive to Zygi Wilf. As the Twins demonstrated with "contraction" professional sports franchises are more of a privilege a city must work to retain, not a right. Teams [especially the NFL] are insanely profitable and have the upper hand in negotiations. If a franchises home town will not build it a new palace, there is someone else that will."

Granted the Dome is a terrible baseball stadium, but for the NFL it could have 30 years left in it with a retro-fit. I have drawn it up a few times (I can try to upload drawings later) that would increase the concourses from 22' to 34', double the size of the restrooms, convert one sideline to club seating (about 6,200 seats) and retain the 94 suites. I would also add five rows to the upper level on the sides and corners (bing the capacity to 68,000 or so)and new videoboards in the ends. I have also drawn up a glass & granite facade. I figure this could be done for $400-450 million dollars, much more doable than the $900 million scheme the vikings are working on now, and the numbers are similar (68,000 seats in both cases, 34' concourse vs 40', 94 suites vs 130, 6,200 club seats vs 8,000, restroom/concession numbers are nearly identical).
Also L.A. has managed to lose three NFL teams already, why the hell should they get a chance to lose a fourth, from a state with a Very loyal fan base (there is substantial season ticket waiting list). I think Wilf would perfer to keep the team in Minnesota, and a rennovation just makes sense economically. The Zigi has also said that renovating the dome is an option he would consider, I know at least one firm has done real schematics.
 
#23 ·
Granted the Dome is a terrible baseball stadium, but for the NFL it could have 30 years left in it with a retro-fit. I have drawn it up a few times (I can try to upload drawings later) that would increase the concourses from 22' to 34', double the size of the restrooms, convert one sideline to club seating (anout 6,200 seats) and retain the 94 suites. I would also add five rows to the upper level on the sides and corners (bing the capacity to 68,000 or so)and new videoboards in the ends. I have also drawn up a glass & granite facade. I figure this could be done for $400-450 million dollars, much more doable than the $900 million scheme the vikings are working on now.
Also L.A. has managed to lose three NFL teams already, why the hell should they get a chance to lose a fourth, from a state with a Very loyal fan base (there is substantial season ticket waiting list). I think Wilf would perfer to keep the team in Minnesota, and a rennovation just makes sense economically.
You make a great logical case, and I totally agree with you that the Metrodome could be renovated to keep costs down, and that a loyal fan base is not worth leaving.

...But logic is different from reality. Having the oldest home in Minnesota:

Metrodome - 1982
Target Center - 1990 [Renovated 2004]
Xcel Energy Center - 2000
Twins Ballpark - 2010


The Vikings will want a replacement that will last longer than Dome renovations and will not be multi-purpose in nature. Not to mention the Vikings could benefit moreso from home field advantage in the elements, which is why their proposals have had retractible roofs [an open-air venue would save a lot of money, retractible roofs are expensive!]

With regards to fan loyalty... Minnesota should know of all places that is not enough to keep a franchise in town.



:hug:
 
#24 ·
Wilf has preveously stated that he, personally is in favor of a open air stadium (I would like to see a partial roof to hold the keep the noise in, I think I mentioned that in my previous post, but just one over the upper teir, like a tension ring). These days stadiums seem to work on a 30 year lifecyle (with resources doing what there doing I think it wall all be renovations iin the world of stadiums), but maybe you're right, and maybe I am blinded by loyality to the team.
 
#27 ·
Construction Update

Here's a couple of fine shots from Saturday, taken by forumer MidwestProduct and posted at Minnescraper.

You can see a lot more progress images here!



On the extreme right side of this view you can see the reconstructed roadway for the LRT station. The stadium will also be linked to the 2nd-story enclosed walkway system that connects most of downtown Minneapolis.




Here's an image I took through a dirty window of the Ford Centre on the opposite side of the stadium (the red brick building to the right in the 2nd photo above). It's annotated to show the integration of the public transport system into the stadium.

 
#28 ·
interesting conctruction
already 4th floor
but no stands / rows
 
#29 ·
Yeah, for whatever reason they are building the entire concourse area and all of the plazas before installing the bowl, though that may have to do with the nature of the site, or the vertical nature of the stands, where all four levels use the same column line. Now it has a highway running under the outfield plaza, and a commuter rail line coming in underneath the 3rd base side to a station in the corner, so maybe they wanted to build up the framework right away since that rail line is supposed to open next year and the terminal station is built into the outfield of the park.

It's so cool to see a park directly connected to 2 passenger rail lines, highways, 8,000 parking spaces and pike paths, if only I were a baseball fan it would be perfect.
 
#31 ·
Avian did you add those little notes on the last picture you posted, about exiting ramps/skyways etc? If so well done. I didn't notice that you may have done that on some 'other' forum that we're not allowed to post links too (any links or so I've been told by at least one moderator). I liked the particular view of the skyline from that angle as well, though it hardly shows downtown but some nearby surrounding neighborhoods with some height to them.

As far as the talk about a possible new Vikings stadium goes, if they build it without a retractable roof, then maybe it can be built with heated floors and seats to melt the snow and if it rains give everyone a poncho.
 
#35 · (Edited)
Here are some shots of the scale model, as taken by Rick at http://www.twinsballpark2010.com/Model5.htmlhttp://www.twinsballpark2010.com/Model5.html

There is only one bank of floodlights above the LED monitor. All the rest of the lighting will come from a line of floodlights at the rim of the canopy:





This is a good view showing the LRT tracks on the left side and the NorthStar Commuter Railroad on the lower right, with the MultiModal Station (oval structure) in the middle.

 
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