I can't wait to see how this looks at sunset.

Thank you Rick, you da man!

Thanks Rick....You're the best!

Wow! Thanks! Those look awesome! So do you know if they are cutting out the little peep holes? Why don't they cover the brick up with limestone? Like that area above the proshop... Not saying it will look bad, just wonder if there is a reason...

WOW is all I can say! Thanks Rick for the amazing pictures of what will be the most beautiful exterior facade in all of MLB come 2010.

It's amazing to think how quickly this project is taking shape and the reality of it finally becoming a reality after seeing the renderings over and over again.

It's going to be fun to see this limestone exterior go up over the course of the summer and into the fall.

Thanks Rick, once again you've added some excitement to my usual cubicle drudgery. The limestone facade is gonna look great!

I know pnc has the same mankato limestone but does this look different to pnc?

i 2nd that Lucky!!!! thanks rick

From the pictures I saw, it looks like most of PNCs exterior is some kind of tinted prefab material, with the limestone serving as a border and an accent.

It looks nice, just not as nice as this.

PNC is different. Click link

Yeah I like ours better thanks guys.

The limestone looks fabulous! WOW!
Does anyone know when they will start to install the risers for the seating? I would assume that they would start the upper deck first...

Thanks Jared, I am glad you like ours better!

It is certainly beautiful! Congrats. Maybe not quite as beautiful as our Benaroya Hall in downtown Seattle, tho.

I think this is going to be such a beautiful new ballpark! Thanks to everyone whos doing such a great job setting it up!

Limestone looks AMAZING! Can't wait til it's done!

you can almost hear this baby warming up her singing voice...

before i go: dsp, surprise us with a lighted waterfall in the ballpark somewhere, please!

Cue up the trombone: here comes Debbie Downer(see link).

I really can't wait until the Strib lays off the rest of these hack columnists.

The limestone looks absolutely better than I could of every imagined. The Twin's organization keeps on impressing me more and more as I watch this stadium blossom. I do have one concern/question though. Why does the limestone on the top of the last picture seem to not have as much character as the bottom rows? It seems to smooth and bland. Are only the bottom rows going to have more texture and color? Personally, I am hoping for that bottom limestone theme will be carried throughout the entire ballpark.

If you look above, this was already questioned, but that is just an accent row, and there will be one about every 5th row of limestone...

yeahklye, I too would like to see a waterfall! Imagine this, look at the renderings (or model pics) and look at the thin glass opening (I think it is for an elevator?) along 7th St. Imagine if that had a waterfall inside it with red and blue LED's shineing through it! That would look AWESOME at night!!! It is actually pictured in the 4ht pic down from top!

I think Nick Coleman is mostly smelling sour grapes with that column... I've never smelled anything down there worse than I've smelled down by the dome... pfft, most of the smells will be drowned out by hot dogs, beer and mustard.

rick - thanks for the new ballpark pics. the kasota limestone looks spectacular. also, i loved that link you provided to the old nicollet park in minneapolis - circa 1925. i swear one of those young kids peeking through the knothole at nicollet park is my since passed grandpa. great photo!

Why would they need room for a reservoir when Bassett Creek already flows under the stadium? I would want the "waterfall" to be in the outfield flowing over limestone rocks. It could look like Minnehaha Falls(click link) only lit up with LED. With that and the different color LED that are already going into the canopy to turn it different colors, Northern Lights Yard would be the most awesome name for our park.

people who hate on the fact we are getting the new ballpark always use that as a last ditch shot at it..."its next to a "garbage burner"
It does not smell and even if it did like CJ said all we will smell is the ballpark food anyway, I mean if miller park can make milwakee's stinky ass smell good and they have a stupid roof!

brats and curds, kettle corn and hot dogs..ummmmmmmm i have to renew my season tickets asap!

yes it's wink wink, but his ballpark obsession goes back to the issue that it's sited in minneapolis and not the city where he thinks the river flows champagne. nothing bad ever happens in st paul! oh his brother is the mayor, but that doesn't affect what he chooses to write...wink wink. if this park were being built across from xcel center, we'd be getting occasional columns about the virtues of baseball in his hometown, as he's done with hockey. publically financed hockey edifices are ok in his parochial world.

and yes, the "next to a garbage burner" comment is the kneejerk comment from the overall stadium hater. it's being built and rising high..so suck on it!

the sewer drains downtown are rank during the summer and that smell sometimes wafts over the the metrodome area. why doesn't he bring that up?

i don't think i've ever read a column of his i've liked.

and has anyone else noticed how ridiculous the comments on strib articles have been about the twins? i actually find myself getting mad when i read them at how stupid some people are (jmarksor anyone?)

Well in 3 years when they decide to relocate the garbase burner to build the Vikings stadium it won't matter anymore.

I love how this jockstrap interviewed some random person waiting for a bus on a corner of a street, assumedly right above a sewer grate. If he made any effort at accurate and educated reporting, he would have asked one of the construction workers who spend 12 hours a day on that site. Or not treat the HERC rep's informed opinions as the setup for a punchline.

And in regards to the reader comments on these articles, I can't believe the number of bitter, selfish, cry-babies throughout this state that lack any logical perspective or ability to pass judgement wihtout realizing THEY ARE THE REASON THERE IS NO STINKING ROOF. "I don't want to pay for the roof, but I'm never going to shut up about wanting it." Wah wah wah.

In the end, just less competition for season tickets.

oooh! i like the idea of the TC logo lit up w/ led's behind a waterfall in the elevator banks. too late, unfortunately.

before i go: nick coleman points out something from which the ballpark must distance itself: the garbage burner. no matter how much people will go on the record saying there's no smell, the fact that the herc is referred to as "the garbage burner" is a psychological dent in the ballpark. it's kind of like when someone says "don't think about an elephant..." and the first thing that jumps into your mind is an elephant. the herc simply must be moved, decommissioned, or transformed into a wind/solar plant.

tim,

Not really true. He didn't want the ballpark here on the good side of the river either. See, he hates Carl Pohlad... therefore the Twins are evil. (show me a Twins fan who actually loves our very own Mr. Burns...)

He's been a hater from day one, and when he lost the fight, he couldn't just tip his hat and walk away... he figured he'd sit in the gallery and throw peanuts.

he also took shots at the XCel Center as a "boondoggle" when it was being built... take it from someone who lives in that neighborhood... I, and my property tax paying backside wouldn't be in that neighborhood if not for the improvements brought on by the X.

The comments in the strib are dumb but sometimes entertaining ... like the ones the goofs leave for Sid .....

There is an update from 7/16 on the twins website with pictures showing the stone quarry and the first panels being put into place.

So, the quarry is close to the construction site, thus earning LEED points, but the stone is actually driven hundreds of miles away to another state and then driven back? I am seriously confused by this. Wouldn't be far more efficient to either quarry the stone near Souix Falls, or (even better) assemble the panels in Mankato rather than in South Dakota?

Sioux Falls, that is. My apologies to any South Dakotans in our midst.

One thing that I just noticed is that they did away with those cool looking glass beacons above the elevator shafts and just made it ugly brick work instead...Look at the model and the glass beacons are gone! Cutting corners now?

From the Strib comments on the article as my link

"Went to the Twins game in Milwaukee , heading down to kansas City to see the twins in Aug and would rather drive 400 miles to see the twins play then drive Down Town Minneapolis to see tham Those two stadiums are have some thing in common that our glorious leaders here fail to understand - you can park right by the stadium - you can tail gate and the experience is out standing In 2010 we will have to park all over down town - every price will jump 100% , you will have some garbage smell the whole time The Stadium should have been built any where but down town - and BTW - put a retractible roof on it - the dome sucks because it was done on the cheap - this stadium is being done on the cheap
posted by toolman28 on Jul. 17, 08 at 6:24 AM"

and this one:
"Amazing so many people have no lifes that they will pay $200 or more for a family of 4 to watch grown men play a child's game very well.

I am confounded why taxpayers had to help build this ridiculous stadium. Why not 1) raise the entrance fee, 2) require players to invest in the stadium, 3) require a management pay cut that would be directed towards the stadium, 4) look for ways to reduce costs (as other businesses that do not get taxpayer money do).
posted by mark1952 on Jul. 17, 08 at 7:20 AM"

"Tell me I just didn't read this!!

Our so called leaders build something I did not want. 70 percent of tax payers of Minnesota did not want also. Then build it in a place that smells. So if someone takes there family over to the stadium to watch a ball game they are going to smell a rotten corps all game. Are you flipp'n kidding me here!!! That just shows what types of morons we have running our government!!
posted by tjr on Jul. 17, 08 at 8:58 AM"

I also love how people all say that it is going to stink like rotting and burning garbage yet none of them have any experience.

Thank you Rick and this guy for actually having first hand experience, even if people ignore the truth.
"Been There Live There

I go by the construction almost daily. I live just a few blocks from the burner. I promise you'll be smelling the sweaty drunk guy sitting next to you before you smell the incinerator. Relax Nick! and everyone else who thinks it's going to be a problem. It will be a beautiful park.
posted by slingshot on Jul. 17, 08 at 11:17 AM"

go to milwakee and to kc but not to our own home ballpark? that was the worse one i read on the strib today, as some of you know i am down with the tailgating as much as the next nut but that was out of line... that is not a real twins fan,,, that is a guy who likes to get shitfaced and his buddys like the twins and hes along for the ride... good we dont want him at the new ballpark and that is more room for me and my grill under the bridge...

I also live close to the ballpark. Talking to a resident or construction worker might have made this piece of "news" something with some believable substance, rather than a whiny blog entry. If you walk VERY close you can smell the garbage water that drips from the trucks as they leave. I have never once smelled it from over 10 yards away. Ever. Case closed.

I think Rick probably said it best that Coleman's articles are like talk radio for the Star and Sickle. I don't know if he means them to or not but his articles always come across as provacatively idiotic. Not sure how you can count them as journalism either, since they're always based on his own unfounded communist opinions. The only thing worse is that every newssite these days requires a comments section so that people who don't know anything on the subject can spout off about what their aunt in Bemidji heard about the ballpark, or that one time they knew someone who once smelled garbage and it wasn't good. I don't care about what Joe Schmoe has to say anymore than I care what Brangelina is naming their 67th child.

This is not about garbage smell, it's about people that don't want to pay for a necessary community building because they don't use it. This would be some city if there was no Walker Art Museum, Guthrie Theater or zoo just because not 100% of the population is interested in them.

Rant over.

mplsgreg,
don't forget about public schools and libraries...oh, and mass transit.

Rick, I see 70 out of 90 people liked your comment

I drove by the HERC facility tonight (near the gas station) and noticed a worker from the plant with what appeared to be a radar gun but it was hooked up to their nose! Some sort of high tech smelling machine. So I think they are monitoring the smell pretty closely.

I have lived in the North Loop for over 7 years and have walked by the HERC facility many times and have never been bothered by the smell. In fact, when it opened in the late 80's, my school bus went by there everyday and I was bugged by the steam that would engulf 7th street but never smelled a thing. If you want some ripe smelling areas, just go to Portland and Washington or 4th and Hennepin, now there are some ripe sewer smells.

And I love your site, Rick! I get all my stadium info from your site!!!

I've been in South Dakota all week. You're telling me the place I grew up is actually helping with the building of the new stadium...Awesome Man!!! Love the pics...
Now if they can only get the 2nd web cam up and running so we can see MORE!!
BTW--Mt Rushmore is really cool at sunset when the Dept of Int. turns on the high beams on the faces! Pretty Inspiring Stuff! Go Washington, Jefferson, Roosevelt, and Lincoln! And Go Morneau...great job in the HR hitting contest.

Nick Coleman is just writing about that to create a buzz around town and stir up some controversy so he can get some attention. I wouldn't make a big deal of what he thinks because we all know how biased and opinionated he is and can be. It doesn't make sense to complain and give him the attention because, in the end, his primary objective is to get the attention and create a buzz and controversy around town.

I suck!

The reason the Strib holds on to KK and Coleman and has a comment thread on nearly every article is because of their financial situation. A majority of people now get their news in some other form than a day old newspaper. For many, this means going online. I have noticed several changes to the Strib website in the last year because of this. Breaking up articles over several pages, adding a comment thread so the KnowNothing's can rant and then go back several times a day to see who responded, opinionated articles that are bound to upset people so they comment and then tell others...It's all an attempt to increase page hits so they can charge more for advertising. Just blow off the hack articles and the KnowNothing comments and get the 25% that's actually news and you'll be fine. Thanks Rick for making this website. My office is in Butler Square so I get to see what's going on at the ballpark everyday but I like looking at your pictures for all the views and closeups I don't usually see.

For those that are interested in yesterday's MSFC proposal to rebuild the Metrodome, click on my name. Allow time to download as the PDF file is over 41mb.

Im for anything that keeps the vikes in Minnesota.

Thanks for the link Kevin! I really hope the Vikings can finally resolve their stadium issue this next year. As Jared said, whatever it takes to keep the Vikings in Minnesota long-term. Hopefully reducing costs by using part of the Metrodome will help gain more support.

The bottom line is that the Metrodome is 25 years old and has definitely served its purpose and is paid for (only cost 55-60 million to build). It is below standards and is no longer a feasible venue for professional sports. Times have changed and its time for a new venue. If Indianapolis' RCA Dome wasn't good enough for Indianapolis, than the Metrodome is definitely not good enough for Minneapolis. In fact, I think the RCA Dome was a few years newer than the Metrodome, now they will be moving into Lucas Oil Stadium next month.

I look at the webcam and think to myself: Next year at this same time I'm still going to be looking at the webcam. It won't be finished, but there will be grass, and seats, and all kinds of stuff but it still won't be done.

The next year is going to be so fun to watch. The majority of the concrete pours should be done by winter. There already are internal walls going up. It is going to be amazing to watch this thing go up. I can't wait for all the concrete deck work to be done. Once that happens it is really going to be fun to watch it.

Now that we have stone in place, I can't wait to see the seating bowl take place. And the first piece of glass installed, then of course the first section of seating, then the scoreboard.

Thanks for hosting this site man. It is truly awesome to watch this project and discuss it with others that are addicted to it.

moda253,
Is that a poem? It sounds kinda like on because it has a sort of rethem and rhyme. It it is, cool, if not, still cool.

Hehe, no just typing it out man.

ODE TO A WEB CAM

Web cam, O web cam,
Our most faithful friend
You've stared at construction
For months without end!

Just what do you see
From your perch on that tower
While snapping new images
Four times an hour?

We, in our cubicles,
Look through your eye
And dream about Baseball,
Our Twins, and the sky.

Web cam, O web cam
How far can you see?
I wish there were two of you
Or maybe three!

HAHAHAHAHA OMG That might be the best thing I've read all week!

Awesome work Ballpark Poet!!!!

Of course now you will be asked for weekly installments.

Fabulous^

nice work ballpark poet. well done. i think you are going to be kevin in az's favorite new poster here on rick's site.

Longtime browser and reader here.... first time post. I want to thank Rick for providing a place for another cubible dwelling ballpark geek to dream of the Twins outdoors in MN. I look at the ballpark webcam a few times during the day and usually check this page once a day. And thanks to the contributors for the great discussions and information on here.

I like it. Ballpark poet, can we get a weekly Friday afternoon installment?

Yes Twins marketing dept...Ode to a webcam...how about ode to TWO WEBCAMS???? ANYONE??? ANYONE??? BUELLER?????

Todays pics....three escalators installed!!

Nice

Ballpark poet that was fricken hilarious!

MOJO!!! You have done it again! Thank you so much! Those are some awesome pics! So is this something we can expect weekly? Haha :)

Does anyone know when those big yellow things are going to be removed?

Mojo,

Again as an out-of-town Twins fan, I thank you for the pictures. Say while you're down at the site, want to see if you can find the 2nd webcam a top the Ford Centre and plug it in somewhere?

What will happen to this site after 2010 and the ballpark opens?

All28Day - It will become the vikingsstadium2012.com website^

at least that is my hope as a lifelong vikings fan!^

GOD I HOPE YOU ARE WRONG!!! It woudl KILL me to see the Vikes leave! They need to stay here!

rick - please don't be mr. doom-and-gloom. i don’t like it! :-)

i know you said the vikings stadium situation could go either way, but i honestly do not see the politicos allowing it to ever get to a point where the vikings leave minnesota. they know there are more than enough vikings fans out there in this state that would be absolutely livid that the many of them would get their "heads handed to them" in the voting booths the very next election out of pure spite.

minneapolis/st. paul already "screwed-up" big time when it came to letting a 5 time NBA champion franchise like the lakers leave town instead of building a new arena in minneapolis in the early 60’s and then the north stars in the mid 90’s. only to go and get expansion franchises to replace both of them. maybe i am giving politicians too much credit, but I just don’t see them being stupid enough to allow it to happen for a third time. and with the vikings no less!

don’t get me wrong. i am a big-time twins fans, but i also know that the vikings are the most popular team in minnesota and have been for a very long time. that has not and will not change. the fact that the twins & gophers are building new stadiums actually works in the vikings and the minnesota sporting fan’s favor. with that precedence already in place how does the legislature say: “well we did pitch in something for the twins, gophers and wild, but sorry we just can’t do it for the most popular team in the state, the vikings”. it just isn’t going work that way in my opinion.

i am going to remain optimistic when it comes to this topic, but appreciate your point of view on the subject.

Not to thread jack this or anything but how did the Twins get beat by SIDNEY PONSON? We just seem to always struggle in New York for some reason...We tend to play very poor baseball in that stadium as Ron Gardenhire is 3-17 as a manager in the Bronx. Thankfully we only have two more games left in Yankee Stadium!!! Hopefully the "New" Yankee Stadium will bring better fortunes for our favorite squad...

No need to complain though as Gardy will get our boys back on track...As the old cliche always goes...It's not a sprint, but a marathon.

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