Sweet, I love the old pic of the rock with the IDS in the background....

the skyline sure has changed since 1980...

i was down at the site yesterday (how could you not on such a beautiful day) for the first time in a couple of months and i can't believe how massive but intimate it will be.

it was interesting to watch the world series move between a dome and a modern outdoor stadium. the game felt much more "alive" when it was in philly but "sterile" in st. pete.

81 (but up to 92 if all post season series go the full amount and the twins have home field advantage) home games left.

Long Live Rock!!! I'm glad you finally located it Rick. As I remember the story, they did try to blow it up - but to no avail.

Public sympathy for a boulder. I think that's great.

i think target field will be just as awesome visually as citizens bank, especially those overhead shots. our park's canopy will really distinguish itself from other parks in mlb.

Rick, do you know what the timeline is for the canopy construction? I'm interested to find out when the steel framing will be finished.

I like the Philly park - The design is unique enough to differentiate it from other new parks. I feel bad for fans in Washington...

Great update Rick. I hope Noah has a fun Halloween.

I'm glad we are getting TF, but I would have done anything to have Nationals Park over the Metrodump the last 30+ years. I have missed a whole 30+ years of outdoor MLB baseball. I actually went to a Saints game to get my fill a couple of years ago and watched those boys boot it around. It was better than being in the dome on a beautiful summer night, but the baseball was *&^%tty. I will be loving sitting outside watching MLB!!! Give me Nationals Park. I'll take it.

give me RFK over the dome... old county , miller park.... jack freakin murphy, candlestick!!!.. anything outside i can deal with

RFK Stadium? You've got to be bleeding kidding me. That place is an embarrassment to the memory of Bobby Kennedy. Much like the Dome is an embarrassment to the memory of Hubert H Humphrey.
Just goes to show you how we feel about politicians in this country - to memorialize them - just build crappy, multi-purpose stadiums!

RFK Stadium actually had a very innovative cantilevered upper deck. (click link) I also like the wavy upper deck roofline. If they would've renovated the outfield bleachers, the exterior, and found a way to add luxury suites and club levels, RFK could've been on par with Kauffman or Dodger Stadium.

Target Field is going to be better then Citizens Bank Park.

Does anyone know what the metal framing above the Metropolitan Club is for? It is visible on the webcam right under the metal skeleton for the upper deck seats.

i walked along target center yesterday afternoon toward target field and was shocked at how much target center's stupefyingly tacky exterior takes away a good measure of target field's beauty. the webcams don't show this very well, but in person, the contrast between the two is akin to the class beauty queen pictured next to the ugly fat girl in high school yearbooks.

If your going to throw in the target center you might as well throw in the garbage burner, but I'm not complaining I'm just happy were getting out of the metrodome and back outdoors. So I guess your analogy would be the hot girl sandwiched between the ugly fat girl and the ugly smelly girl.

choosing a paint color for your backyard tool shop, jason, is a bit different than picking a color for your house.

does anyone know who designed the outside of the target center?

Target Center was designed and built in the late 80's era and was there well before Target Field, so we really can't complain.

Let's just be thankful we will be OUTDOORS and will have the ability to actually see exteriors of buildings rather than a very sterile white teflon roof surrounded by a sea of blue seats.

We could have had a nice ballpark down along the Mississippi River, where the Guthrie currently sits, had the Twins and the politicians gotten their acts together years ago.

Either way, lets just be thankful we are getting Target Field because it will sure be a top ballpark in baseball.

The new managers at Target Center want to renovate the place. Maybe they will change the color scheme to fit in with Target Field. Since they both connect to Target Plaza, it would make sense if they would least look complimentary.

Since TF has it's back to the garbage burner, it won't really be visible from inside the park (except for the smokestack).

Mo...I think the framing that you see will become a screen for the HVAC units on the roof.

Has anyone seen Lucas Oil Field? Great model for a new Vikings Stadium. They have a retractable roof that parts in the middle and both sides slide down to open the roof....

"Does anyone know what the metal framing above the Metropolitan Club is for? It is visible on the webcam right under the metal skeleton for the upper deck seats."

What I see is just guardrails. Seems they have put some air conditioners on top. Don't want maintenance walking off the edge I guess.

if thats a guardrail then its for giants. the orange fenceing is the construction rail system

David -
I took a tour of Lucas Oil when it first opened in August. The thing is a monstrosity. It's just a gigantic brick warehouse. The retractable roof doesn't actually allow for a sense of the outdoors. (much like Miller Park.)The thing is big, cold and corporate - - just like the NFL.

And it cost $720 million to build, with the Colts chipping in less than $100 mil. Good luck getting that deal here. Click my name for a pic i took.

Hassertime,

I couldn't agree with you more. And I'm sure that's what the powers that be want to see in Mpls. They're more concerned with hosting Final 4's once every 6 years, one superbowl if they're lucky and truck pulls in the winter. They're far more concerned about events like that which many of the attendees (except for the truck pulls) are from everywhere BUT Minnesota. They need to do what's in the best interest of the FANS in MN and their main tenant, the Vikings. Build an adequate NFL outdoor stadium for far less than the monstrosity they want to build. You can have monster truck pulls at either the outdoor Vikings stadium, TCF Stadium during the summer months. Let's put the Vikes back outside where they belong. Maybe then they'll regain a REAL homefield advantage and be in the superbowl again. I'd rather see my team in the superbowl than to see my city hosting 2 teams that I couldn't give a shit about.

But alas, this is MN, they'll do the stupid thing with the more costly price tag....Again Mike Lynn, I blame you for this mess. The day you walked into the Met and told Max Winter what a piece of shit it was, he should have backhanded you and put you on a plane back to Memphis.

And if there's retractable roof on the joint, it will never be open. The last Cardinals home game 3 weeks ago, the kickoff temp was 78 degrees. The roof was closed. If they're going to insist on a roof, just make a fixed roof like Ford Field. It's cheaper and retractables are RARELY retracted = Total waste of money.

I just liked the look of Lucas Field better than last iteration of the Vikings Stadium. Also, Lucas Field also has convention space built into it, which is not necessary. I just liked the more classic look...rather than a big ugly box. The Metrodome just looks like a giant cement block from the ground.

Maybe, instead of a retractable roof, they could make both ends of the stadium open. Much like their plan for the West End (and the one end of Lucas Field), but at both ends?

If the Vikes want a stadium, putting their hand out for $750 Million from Joe Taxpayer, just won't cut it. If they could cut the cost, and pay half, it would be a lot more palatable.

kevin in az, couldn't agree with you more.

Kevin - I totally agree about the roof.

Vikes need to step up and pay more for this thing. Living downtown, my taxes are already sky high. And having 8 home games a year doesn't even compare with the 81 the Twins will have, so it doesn't make sense for taxpayers to dish out TWICE what we did for Target Field.

Also - the glass on the Pro Shop looks AWESOME! On Friday they had nearly finished putting up all of it along the 7th street side of the shop.

Also, it looks like there might be an entrance to the Pro Shop tucked back in the corner on the ballpark side...still wish this had street access!

Yes you get more baseball games then football games, but generally speaking, football games are way funner to watch then baseball games. I love watching all sports though. (except soccer and nascar for those who call it a sport)

I usually don't say much but I'm tired of my name being used for everything. Joe this Joe that. Find another name.

Well matt you have not been to a Baeball game with the right people... the dome is a fun killer but it still can be done...

I just have a random question for everyone. Does anyone know the how many restaurants/bars/lounges the ballpark will have? Which of those will be open to the public?

Jeff, this is from Rick on the last thread, I asked the same question last week....

"Maz,

According to the early drawings, there will be four total bars/restaurants. It is not clear how many of these will be open to the general public.

In addition, there are quite a few exclusive "lounges" scattered throughout the various levels. Access to these appears to be limited to certain types of ticket-holder"

The kicker about Lucas Oil Stadium is that the interior is not waterproofed at all. If there's even the hint of rain in the next 15 minutes, they close the roof (since that's how long it takes to close). They also mentioned on Sunday night football that they closed the window wall in order to keep the sound in and improve the atmosphere. Well, what's the point, then?

Ditch the roof, Vikes. If they can finance an open air stadium on the Dome site, great. If not, they should look for a nice chunk of land out in the sticks near a Northstar station where the parking lot can be used for commuters during the week, people can take the train to the game, and they can play games outside.

Amen, Alex. Amen indeed.

There is nothing wrong with a permanent, fabric roof on a northern city's football stadium. The Metrodome gets used a lot because of that roof. Zygi is on the right track by looking at remodeling options for the dome.

Zygi is not looking at remodeling options for the dome, as far as I know. There was a news story a month or so ago saying that they were planning to use part of the seating bowl and foundation of the metrodome for the new stadium. But this was basically a P.R. ploy to make people think they aren't requesting an all-new building. The plan is cheekily called "Metrodome Next" (click name for an article)

I can't believe I'm talking more about a purple stadium than the new Twins park... I'm disgusted, so I'll throw this in: When I was down at the site on Sunday, It amazed me how little space there was between the left field fence and 5th street. The lower section of outfield seating will be small and intimate, and the big upper deck looks steep, it would have been neat if it's back rows hung over the LRT station.

Dave T - what you said is wrong on so many levels that i don't have time to go through them all. also, you don't really seem to know what you are talking about in regards to zygi wilf/the vikings. haasertime (despite his mis-placed cynicism towards the vikings stadium plans) has it right as the vikings have no intention and never have of remodeling the metrodump. the only thing suggested to be reused, if necessary, from the metrodump is part of the foundation, which is not a PR ploy as haasertime is trying to suggest, but rather a way to help hold down some of the cost.

New to this site: The offices where the Twins will be at-Is this plexiglass on the field side? Looks like many baseballs are going to be able to be hit there.

I was sreioulsy at DefCon 5 until I saw this post.