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Construction Update from Greg

May 7, 2008 10:39 AM

COMMENT

Here's a quick batch of construction photos taken today and kindly provided by mplsgreg.

The webcam shows that they have poured the home dugout floor. Seems like weird timing, but I'm sure there's a good reason. Very cool.

Tomorrow I'm actually touring the site and hope to have a few close-ups of what's going on!

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Thanks for the pix. Is there any other construction project in the Twin Cities that has this level of interest from so many people? Well, there are a couple of I35W projects that have my undivided attention when I'm driving, but not when I'm sitting down.

Posted on May 7, 2008 at 11:07 AM by Dave T 1

Is that last pic with the rendering new? I don't remember seeing that one before. Are there more?

Posted on May 7, 2008 at 11:40 AM by J. 2

ok thank you guys for posting these. another wretched couple of seasons in that dome but the payoff will be worth the wait. looks spectacular.

Posted on May 7, 2008 at 12:19 PM by Tim 3

Yes, that was the new rendering I was referring to in the skyway/parking garage. Thanks for taking it. It is tough to tell, but if you see it in person, there is significant more detail that can be appreciated. Also, there are more views from this "HD" rendering in the pamphlet that is connected to this ad.

Posted on May 7, 2008 at 1:24 PM by Matt 4

what is going in across the street? There is a cement truck parked there.

Posted on May 7, 2008 at 1:25 PM by MEATBALL 5

Thanks for putting these up, but it sure would be nice for the Twins to put that updated rendering on their site, so it was easier to view (larger image)...

Moose

Posted on May 7, 2008 at 2:30 PM by Moose97 6

We've talked on and off about the restaurant scene near the new ballpark. Well, if you are an entrepreneur looking to get in on that scene, click my name for an opportunity I discovered today.

One can't help but wonder why they're selling now...

Posted on May 7, 2008 at 7:01 PM by Rick 7

Rick - what bar is that?

Posted on May 7, 2008 at 8:25 PM by IowaWigman 8

great find, rick. i swear you are working for the cia (twins division)...

it'll be interesting to see the trend of property values. everyone wants to be close to the park, but no one wants to set the standard for the industry price.

Posted on May 7, 2008 at 8:28 PM by yeahklye 9

I think that restaurant will do pretty well once the ballpark opens, as obviously it is the ideal location. Unfortunately until then someone is going to have to support an $8000 lease every month in an off the beaten path location bordered by a construction zone (hey, not all of us can see the beauty of end result before construction is complete) "The Bullpen" as it is apparently called was once a nightclub owned by some guy who went away for drug charges, and up until a couple weeks ago was Fatso's. It was supposed to be the city's "best burgers" so I went there to get a burger and watch NCAA basketball and found out this burger joint/bar had no televisions. Needless to say it didn't last very long. If someone can support it until 2010 I'm sure it will become a very profitable establishment!

Posted on May 7, 2008 at 9:00 PM by mplsgreg 10

Anyone have thoughts on the potential of the Pohlad's making turning the street level of the Ford Center into a restaurant/bar? Granted there isn't much traffic over there and probably won't be unless there is a home game.

Posted on May 8, 2008 at 08:46 AM by IowaWigman 11

A great spot for a sportsbar would be in the Minnikada Storage building street level. There is room along 3rd Ave for an outdoor patio, and the 5th street side has large garage doors, that could be opened during gamedays to make it an open air restaurant, similar to Billy's on Grand in the summertime when they open those big glass doors. Plus I think that's kind of a pretty old building.

Rick, please post your pics of your site tour soon! If I can speak for the other ballpark geeks on this site, we are all jealous!

Posted on May 8, 2008 at 09:41 AM by Jon 12

Rick, did you see the sign near homeplate that you can currently see from the webcam. It's red and says 2010 on it, but I can't tell what else it says. Anyone have a clue?

Posted on May 8, 2008 at 1:04 PM by ML 13

ML, It appears to my eyes to say "2010 HOME PLATE".

Posted on May 8, 2008 at 4:02 PM by JohnF 14

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"You talk about the magic, the aura, but what really makes a stadium is the fans. Concrete doesn't talk back to you. Chairs don't talk back to you. It's the people who are there, day in, day out, that makes the place magic."

– Bernie Williams

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.

Lots of pix waiting to be seen from Bert's memorable night.

I'm not sure why there's a wreath on Gate 3. (I quickly checked the headlines for any dreaded Killebrew news. Whew.) It looks to be in celebration, maybe of the move.

At the end of the balcony you can see down the promenade.

This may look like just some guy (perhaps a spy) headed for the train. But it's actually the Northstar engineer!

The brown grass was left over from the first attempt at groundbreaking (canceled after the 35W bridge collapse)

The right field foul pole seen against a backdrop of Butler Square (itself a site of great significance in the history of professional baseball in Minneapolis)

The seating bowl of Citizens Bank Park overlaid on the Target Field site

Looking back toward First Avenue

A mysterious smile from within a very deep planter!

5:45 PM, section 327, row 9, sitting: shade.

A walkway begins to form (this is as close as you can get right now)

Philly

The Legends Club retail store is just visible at the right of this picture.

He'll always be a fan favorite, but did you know that he's making $18.5 million this year? The Twins' entire outfield today, combined, makes $7.45 million.

Working on the main concourse right about directly behind the plate.

The Fifth Street side is pretty busy. There's a small street entrance to the B ramp, then ticket booths and an entrance gate, a rare exterior section not covered in limestone, the wooden screen covering the circulation ramps, the administration building, and finally (just out of view) the interface with Northstar. All of that sits behind the LRT action. How pedestrians will interact with this side of the park is a great mystery to me. You know that Metro Transit won't be letting them cross the tracks anywhere but at either end of the block...

Staging for the next section (Home Plate Box)

This is a background image extracted from one of the blueprint pages. It's essentially a schematic of the park (Terrace Level). In it you can see the shape of the various seating areas (to a certain extent).

Now, THIS is just some guy who appears to be hanging out on the LRT tracks talking to himself.

Dave St. Peter introducing the first physical models of the ballpark in June 2007

Photo by Jeff Ewer

Photo by Tyler Wycoff

A new restaurant going in at Fifth Street and Second Avenue

The future history of Minnesota ballparks will go here

Photo by Tyler Wycoff

No admittance -- yet! Note that you can see the seating bolts which are in place already.

Steel meets concrete, with the last rays of sun visible through the suite and concourse openings at left.

Reasonable (if not overly generous) leg room

I took this picture from the Overlook at great personal risk, because everything Thome was hitting was landing out that direction.

Balcony of the Town Ball Tavern.

Replays on the out-of-town scoreboard!

Ballpark elevation diagram, viewed from Fifth Street. (Click to enlarge.)

Notice that the wooden-backed club seats are now covered by a green tarp for protection from the elements.

I noticed this detail while taking the previous picture. I figure that it must be the VIP entrance from the surface parking lot. I don't think there is any parking inside the ballpark, so this entrance will likely be for suite-dwellers and other VIPs, though I can't say for sure whether players will enter here.

Many people will approace the park from this direction and it's a pretty great first glimpse. It features all the design elements in modestly condensed form, and still manages to look like a ballpark (instead of something else).