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Quick Construction Update

February 7, 2008 11:03 PM

COMMENT

Please bear with a slight detour because it was pointed out today that the first support beams for the plaza went into place over the freeway today. (I don't have a picture yet, but it's visible on the webcam.)

Since we clearly needed a construction update (and I had a customer downtown), I stopped out at the site yesterday and snapped what will now become the last pictures of the support structure without a deck:

In the foreground you can see the supports for the plaza as it will meet the corner of North Seventh Street and Third Avenue North.

Yesterday they also began building the first structure over the railroad tracks. This will be part of the promenade on the HERC side of the ballpark:

The day before yesterday, I also trucked up to the top of the Ford Centre and took some photos through the exceedingly dirty windows in the stairwell up there:

Compare that to the last time I ventured up there (almost exactly one year ago):

Now, just for reference, here's a shot of the railroad tracks viewed from the north (notice that the outline of the ballpark is clearly visible in the snow):

...and the future site of the Northstar station:

Back to model talk shortly.

Comments

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Thanks for the updates Rick! Very nice perspectives from some different angles! It is great to see the main concourse decking taking shape as well.

Posted on February 8, 2008 at 10:35 AM by Luke H. 1

Rick,
I still don't quite see how the ped bridge will connect to the
Target Center side of 394. Especially the 6th St side of it. Is the bridge going to continue past Target Center to 1st ave as well?

Posted on February 8, 2008 at 11:21 AM by J2K 2

this why call it construction it take time it to come together and hard work.

Posted on February 9, 2008 at 12:20 AM by tomeko taylor 3

The approaches from 1st to the plaza are still in flux because of funding issues. Everything you see in the updated model will be built and is not contingent on further money.

Posted on February 9, 2008 at 12:22 PM by Tim 4

I, too, am interested in seeing how it will all fit together on 2nd Ave North behind the Target Center. I wonder if they are planning on making an exit from the skyway onto the new plaza.

Posted on February 9, 2008 at 2:01 PM by Chris 5

That skyway connecter has to go or be remodeled to fit the new landscape. It was built when this area served as the neglected back porch to Minneapolis and looks like an airport gate concourse. I understand that it provides nice coverage from the weather, but it is an ugly barrier. In my humbled opinion, it will mess up the flow and visual energy of that area if it stays as is.

Posted on February 9, 2008 at 6:44 PM by johnk 6

I was down by the site yesterday and there are a LOT of beams over 394. Nice to see, that.

It's hard to tell from the webcam, but the beams to 7th St. form a shallow staircase from SE to NW, sloping up to meet the beams that will presumably connect to 6th St. (the rightmost 5 or six beams in the webcame shot, which appear to be angled toward 6th -- again this is hard to get a sense of with the webcam).

The beams to 6th (or wherever) also slope downward toward the HERC. Is this the approach to the overhang section?

I don't remember seeing this kind of vertical motion in the model at Twinsfest. It struck me as kind of odd when I saw it yeaterday. Can someone with construction experience comment?

Posted on February 11, 2008 at 10:49 AM by David 7

It may also be that the "beams to 6th St." actually IS the overhang section. I didn't think any seating was over the freeway but I may have missed that detail. Anyone know?

Posted on February 11, 2008 at 11:20 AM by David 8

I am assuming there will have to be steps down to 2nd ave from the ped bridge on the 6th st side. That seems to be the only way it would work. Has anyone seen any plans for this side of the ped bridge? I haven't seen anything other than the ballpark end of the bridge of course.

Posted on February 11, 2008 at 3:25 PM by J2K 9

I stopped down at the site today and took some photos of the beams over the freeway. It is indeed a bit puzzling how this will turn into a flat plaza. There appears to be a very steep slope down from what will be the middle of the plaza to the sidewalk on 7th Street.

Of course, the model didn't show anything like that, but it may simply be that the plaza will be built up from the support structure in different ways at different spots.

My next post is about the plaza, including the photos I took of the model, the photos I took today, and the site diagram that I have. Tune in later...

Posted on February 11, 2008 at 3:31 PM by Rick 10

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Explore the Site

Here are 50 images chosen randomly from the 3004 found on this site. Click the image to be taken to the original post. A new list is created every 10 minutes.

Detail showing clubhouse and home dugout (click to see the entire drawing)

The sign reads, "Mortenson Radio Channels".

A view from up (and in) the street.

I'm too short to see over that wall. How about a little platform or something?

LRT throngs after the game

For executive entertaining

Photo by Tyler Wycoff

Walkway construction is progressing

The back row of seats in straight-away center. Note that, beyond those seats, you can see the planters (for flowers) on the front of the Left Field Bleachers.(Batters Eye)

Here's a correction: The LRT platform will actually be able to load outbound trains from both sides.

Seventh inning sing-along.

I know these are giants bats with hops growing inside, but... Hmm...

Ahh. Lunch in the admin building...

Bruce Lambrecht on the roof of the Minikahda building.

Knothole non-view #2

The pouring is taking place at the very bottom of this photo.

I believe that the truck is parked in one of the curb cutouts which are being installed to facilitate ticket sales and traffic calming.

Just some of the lumiaries who turned out for the unveiling (Terry is clearly thinking about Sidney Ponson).

Larry DiVito, mowing

Also warming things up are these planters.

Here's another view up Sixth Street toward where the plaza will meet First Avenue (it will hug Target Center all the way).

A mysterious smile from within a very deep planter!

Don Swanson, left, in-coming commander of the Richfield American Legion, and Joe Kennedy, right, out-going commander, are pictured with the Legion's new flag pole, which once stood at old Metropolitan Stadium. (Click to enlarge.)

Off-topic, but this gigantic, cool, retro sign is just across the street from S&CH. Why? I don't know. Might look nice on top of one of those municipal parking ramps...

Which way to the skyway? Really??

Here's one big problem with a retractable roof: completely terrible seating in left. These scant few seats would have been tucked under the track. No sunshine, no open concourse, it was a terribly kludgy idea. With some hindsight, it's very clear that adding a retractable roof on this small site would have required compromises which would have just been too extensive to tolerate. Without it, the design was free to grow into something much more memorable.