Submitted by TotalAccess on Mon, 03/22/2010 - 17:41
Next season the Minnesota Twins will finally have a place to call their own. After sharing the dreadful indoors at HHH Metrodome with the Vikings since 1982, the people of the Twin Cities finally had enough. Target Field broke ground just in the nick of time—before the US economy plunged.
There was a lot of talk this was going to be a retractable roof stadium.
In some cases, I am in favor of that (Houston, Seattle), but here I am not. The hardy people of Minnesota, by nature, are outdoors people and wouldn’t live there if they couldn't deal with uncomfortable weather.
According Chris Iles of the Twins Corporate Communication, there will be plenty of commuter options, including 20,000 parking spots within five blocks of the park, a termination point for the Minneapolis Light Rail , and even bike racks for those who want to commute to the game via the Cedar Lake Trail .
The main feature of Target Field is Target Plaza, which is a huge public space that promises to have plenty of entertainment and interaction for fans.
Twins of the past will be honored by a huge wall, aptly named "Twins Wall." Every player that donned the Twins uniform will be honored on this wall. The wall will be accented by statues of the franchise's finest. It is supposed to be a secret as to who it's going to be, but you can pretty much bank on two guys named Harmon and Kirby.
The flag pole in centerfield actually is from the original home of the Minnesota Twins, Metropolitan Stadium .
The team recently announced they are going to upgrade their original plans by adding an HD video board, a full roof canopy, and “warming shelters” (hey, I guess this is still Minnesota).
The Champion's Club behind home plate probably offers the best views during the game, but I was assured there would not be a single bad seat in the park, as every seat was angled towards the pitchers mound.
Minneapolis has to be excited for this, as Target Field is going to be one of the most urban parks in baseball, located in the Warehouse District near downtown Minneapolis.
HOK is doing the design work, and it seems as if they are modifying blueprints from PNC Park, Fenway, and AT&T Park. The capacity is expected to be around 40,000, which is about right for this smaller market team.
Delaware North will be operating the concessions. They are currently looking into acquiring a local eatery to their lineup of food options; however, at this time nothing has been finalized.
If you are interested in learning more about Target Field, here are some links:
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