That ballpark looks so ugly with that roof, thank god there is no roof.

the old model looks like a gigantic manual credit card machine (click my name for pic). how ugly that would've been!

Very reminiscent of Safeco. That actually wouldnt have been the worst retractable ballpark, at least better than Chase and Miller (which are basically airplane hangers that happen to have a ball diamond on the floor)

It's bulky and makes us appreciate the gem we're actually getting, but to be fair, that was a concept the Twins were showing to generate conversation and move the ballpark debate forward. If a roofed park had been approved we'd see the same detailed revisions we've noticed since the plan went from a dream to reality.

I do like the scoreboard/light tower concept on the old model. It's reminds me of some of the bridges over the Mississippi in NE Minneapolis.

However, I don't think it would fit in with the new design.

Chris brings up an interesting point about the scoreboard being in RF. Why doesn't the current proposed ballpark have the scoreboard in RF instead of LF? Does it have to do with space? The RF seats look to have a huge advertising board above them. I just ask because it would seem more logical to have the scoreboard in a place where more people could view it. Having it above the LF seats leaves the LF upper deck turning their heads back and the lower deck not seeing it at all.

Maybe they want the skyscrapers to be the main focal point in RF. Or perhaps the scoreboard would look a little awkward on top of the trapezoid seats in right-center.

Kevin,

My guess is that a RF scoreboard would block the skyline view.

Kevin, putting the scoreboard in right would block the only view of the skyline, whereas putting it in left sort of fills the void of there being no backdrop. Just my guess.

The skyline is a good point.

Being that the 2nd level of the left field pavillion will hang over the lower, I hope they will have monitors so those fans sitting in the lower level can see replays, etc. They have monitors at Wrigley field in the main grandstand for those people sitting underneath the 2nd level.

I see a story on wccoradio.com that the ballpark is significantly over budget, but the Twins will continue to contribute money instead of scaling back on the project. I linked my name to the story

Interesting article (click name) about big cost overruns and Jerry Bell saying that construction is going so well they briefly considered a 2009 opening!!

Glad to hear the Twins are willing to spend to make it a top notch facility - nice perk for the fans after we've dealt with the Dome for so long

Are the Twins going to sell naming rights for the park or is it going to be named "Minnesota Twins Ballpark" like in the model?

Quote from Excited: "Jerry Bell saying that construction is going so well they briefly considered a 2009 opening!!"

Man, I would kill for a 2009 opening! The new Gopher football stadium back on campus & the new Twins ballpark opening during the same year would be awesome. Honestly, I don't know if I could contain my sports-centric view of the universe self.

And I mean that (the sports-centric view of the universe part)!

party on.....

Has anyone been to twinsfest to see the model, has it changed at all?

Have you had a chance to make it to Twins Fest? I was wondering if the model had any updates to it that you wanted us to be aware of?

I am sure Rick will cover this as well, but one of the changes made was in center field where the restaurant was originally located. This will now be some type of a "group area" with picnic tables and such according to one of the Twins representatives I spoke to on Friday. I am sure Rick can clarify this a little more, but that was one of the minor changes made.

Also, it appears that the expensive seats that run from dugout to dugout behind home plate will indeed be physically separated from the rest of the seats. I am still not 100% sure if that will be the case, but it sounds like a good possibility after talking to the Twins rep.

This "physically seperated" thing isn't at all surprising. They recently did that at the Cell, and check out this photo of AT&T. Bottem line, those people paid a lot more for their tickets, and they get special considerations (including keeping out the rif-raff).

I'm not surprised about building materials inflation causing overruns. Many people predicted that even before the legislature passed the bill authorizing the county to levy the sales tax.

It's the same reason that Pawlenty's two vetoes of transportation funding bills are idiotic. He's just costing us lots more money in the end.

This is a bit off topic, but does anyone know what the concourses will look like? I haven't seen a pic anywhere - Twins site or elsewhere. An awesome job on this site again by the way. I check it at least 10 times a day.

An open air ballpark next to a trash incineration cite??? Lets hope the Twins hand out Hazmat suits to patrons before every home game, otherwise Mike Ciresi will be profiting when the first person approaches him claiming to have developed a lung disease from breathing hazardous fumes all season.

Rick: Thanks for posting the pics of the model. It gave a lot of us a great opportunity to better inspect the park. I was at Twinsfest Sunday and one of the officials mentioned that they are looking at building a firepit and bbq party area on the roof of the administration building.

FYI, David: Pawlenty helped get the ballpark built by not standing in the way. Doesn't matter who's campaign you contribute to - this is a ballpark page, and he's helped us Twins fans get us a park.

Man I sure hope they replace that garbage burner with shops, restaurants, bars, hotels or apartments.

Jeff,

I don't know if you're new here, but I've been a supporter of the ballpark for a long time. And I'm very progressive, policy-wise. I've had more than one argument with political peers.

So I applaud Pawlenty's inaction on the ballpark. And yes, it was inaction. He did nothing to actually push the thing through. He simply signed the bill. He did the bare minimum because he knew he was acting in opposition to his stated goal of not increasing taxes.

What I fault him for is allowing a tax increase to fund the ballpark but refusing one for critical infrastructure. I love the ballpark. I'm glad we're doing it. But let's not pretend that it's as or more important than transit. highways and education capital projects.

He didn't just sign the bill, to be fair. He lobbied for the bill that final night when it passed by a razor thin margin. The ballpark would not be under construction without a final push from the Governor's office. It was high drama and I remember wcco radio's play-by-play coverage. There was a lot of arm twisting that early May morning. Nothing this controversial can pass the legislature without some show of support from whomever is occupying the Governor's office.

Rick,

Have you heard if there are going to be any Bleacher sections in this park?

David,

Sorry, not "new here". Again, this isn't a politico blog to espouse liberal or conservative ideologies about politicians' actions not relating to the ballpark. I'm glad your progressive, though - we can all sleep better now.

Other David,

Core infrastructure IS related to the ballpark. How are we going to get there if our transportation system is crumbling? One of the reasons to build the ballpark where it is is the long-standing plan to have five major transit corridors converge on that very site. If that doesn't happen due to Pawlenty's ideology, it affects the ballpark.

And yes, there will be bleachers in left and it looked from the model that there will be bleachers in right as well. Both bleacher sections will have backrests.

One thing I noticed on the model that was at Twinsfest that hasn't been mentioned. It appears they cut back on the limestone on the facade on the LRT(left field) side. It is now the same brown wood we have seen elsewhere with a strip of limestome in the middle.

Tim,

Perhaps the Governor played a behind-the-scenes role, but remember that the D's controlled both bodies at the time. It wouldn't have happened without their support.

Looking at the final vote results here:

minnesota.publicradio.org/projects/ongoing/votetracker/issue_view.php?id=52

Shows a good number of metro R's and D's voted for the bill. So I acknowledge it was a bipartisan effort. Did the Governor play a role? Maybe. But none of his strongest political allies supported him on this bill except Sviggum, which was politically necessary for the both of them.

I do know that Speaker Kelliher went way out on a limb to get her members to pass the bill. Apparently Dean Johnson did as well. It's rather surprising to see the names of some of the D's who voted yes: Hortman, Higgins, Marko, Skoglund and Lesch.

One thing we can say for sure is that a lot of legislators held their noses during that vote.

you can't make the infrastructure claim as it relates to the ballpark because we have a transit line extension and a commuter train corridor coming online next year. the ballpark site isn't the best place to make the point that transportation isn't being adequately funded. if you can't get to this stadium via car, train, bike or foot it's not for lack of options. and if you don't want politics discussed don't bring them into the forum.

Maybe we should point out some of the politicians who were opposed to this ballpark. When we all see how nice this ballpark will be and how successful this project will become, the opponents should be pointed out as well just so they don't get any credit they don't deserve.

another one bites the dust...

Tim,

Except:

- People from Eden Prairie, St. Louis Park, Hopkins, etc. can't easily take transit to a game (no SW LRT)

- People from St. Paul can't easily take transit to the game (No Central LRT). And no, Route 16 is not a gameday option. And no, neither is Route 94.

- People from the south suburbs can't easily take transit to a game (no Cedar BRT).

- People from the NW suburbs can't easily take transit to a game (no Bottineau LRT).

- Bus routes keep getting cut, meaning fewer and fewer people can actually take a bus to a game, even in the core cities.

Not to mention all the other stuff that should have happened by now (NE Diagonal and Dan Patch, anyone?).

So yes, this ballpark will have the best transit accessibility of anything we've had in the past. But it's still pathetic compared to many other urban ballparks and stadiums.

We've got plenty of auto parking. Too bad that doesn't help the elderly, those under 16, the disabled, those who can't afford a car, those from greater MN who don't want to drive in the city and others.

And good luck to those drivers trying to exit the ballpark area after a game. :)

The ballpark should be a transportation hub, an anchor in the west metro the same way that Union Depot is envisioned to be in the east metro. But that won't happen if we don't raise the necessary new revenue.

I can't wait to see your newest pics!
On another note... at least Johan is out of the AL.

Unconfirmed reports on Santana trade click on name for link

David,

Thanks for your points. I got a good laugh in there regarding people under 16 getting to the game. I've driven my grandma to games for years, so luckily - the elderly are covered.

The way I look at it, this park will have better access than the dome (394, 94, HWY 55, LRT, TRAIN), and bring improved access over the Target Center, which has been serving us just fine for years. I'm finished with the politics subject.

Like what they did with the facade by the light rail. Hate that Fernando Martinez wasn't included in the deal. Oh well, at least we got Delmon.

Johan for President! Good luck in the bright lights of New York City and I hope you enjoy pitching in front of the fans at Shea Stadium/Citi Field. Enjoy the high expectations and the media as well! You will be missed, but the Twins must move on because they are not stupid enough to cough up $130+ million over 6 years for a pitcher who only plays once every five days. Just don't forget the Twins organization and the fans and the opportunity they gave you!

Johan throws too many pitches and tries to strike everyone out. By the 5th inning he usually has a pretty high pitch count. That is what got him into trouble last year.

I still think Hitting and defense is more important that pitching. You can't win if you don't score.

It looks like this Gomez guy can run, and maybe be our top of the order base stealer.

David, you seem to think incredibly expensive, complex rail projects just happen with a snap of a finger. Central corridor and sw lrt will be online before 2020, just take a breath. Pathetic transit accessibility?? It'll have the best transit access outside of the east coast or chicago, comparable to seattle or denver.

Tim - I would say more comparable to Denver's current & planned transit network. I think you give Seattle too much credit (at least in terms of their rail transit, or lack thereof).

But, I do agree by 2020 we will see: Central Corridor LRT between Minneaplis-St. Paul downtowns, Soutwest LRT from Eden Prairie to Minneapolis, Commuter Rail from Minneapolis to Duluth, High-Speed Commuter Rail from Minneapolis to Chicago, LRT or Commuter rail from St. Paul to points northeast.

Betaband,

With the way things are currently running in Pawlenty's administration, the best we will see by 2020 is a severely pared-down Central Corridor.

There is NO MONEY for any of the other projects. Mn/DOT and Metro Transit are broke. There's nothing there. Look over the budgets.

Unless we raise tax revenue we're going to be stuck with our inadequate transportation system for a very long time. That means inadequate transit AND roads.

And even with funding, high speed rail to Chicago is probably not going to happen until 2030 and probably much later than that.

I don't understand Jeff's aversion to politics. Politics is how we collectively make decisions. It's necessary and good that we talk about it. Otherwise we get a small cabal making all of the decisions.

Transportation and development is central to the ballpark project. They fit together very tightly. There will be a huge lost opportunity if there is no development around the ballpark (look at the Metrodome) and that development won't happen without easy access by car and transit.

Why hasn't any development been announced yet? what's the appropriate time frame for hearing about all this exciting development to the area that the stadium will bring?

Rick, I look forward to seeing the updated LRT-side facade. Maybe we can discuss how transportation will be affected around this stadium sometime down the road (no pun intended) on it's own post. Afterall we do have two more years to cover!

At TwinsFest on Saturday when I was checking out the ballpark model, it looks like there is a measurement of 411 feet (located in the batters eye-pine tree background, upper left corner), which would be at the angle where the left & centerfield walls connect. The pitchers may welcome that news of added distance (from the 404 CF measurement) & possibly some speedy runners looking for triples.

David - Trust me bro I am very much of the same opinion as you when it comes to Pawlenty's complete lack of vision & guts when it comes to doing what is right for Minneapolis/Minnesota and building/properly funding through permanent taxes a comprehensive transportation network, which includes rail transit. Pawlenty’s minions will say otherwise, but it is quite obvious to those who actually pay attention that he is more than willing to run Minneapolis/Minnesota into the ground during his tenure to ensure his national political future (VP run with McCain).

My comment back to Tim was more that I was in general agreeing with his basic "vision" that regional transit will hopefully be greatly expanded in Minneapolis by 2020 timeframe.

What usually bugs me the most in the whole transit discussion over the years is that people from out-state Minnesota need to get it through their stubborn heads that without a healthy Minneapolis metro, of which greatly expanded transit is a part of, that out-state Minnesota and its towns will suffer greatly. Most of them won’t admit it, but out-state Minnesota residents rely so much on taxes paid by metro Minneapolis residents which are dispersed to them that it is not even funny.

Starve the Minneapolis metro area and you will kill the rest of the state folks! Unfortunately, it is as simple and scary as that. See the forest for the trees, if you can.

Ok, we're straying a bit too far from the ballpark, so I'll try to steer us back.

Betaband, glad to hear we're in agreement. Sometimes it's tough to capture the nuances of conversation electronically. Apologies if I misrepresented your position.

I can say that public officials in Greater MN (I'm talking mayors, county commissioners, etc., not legislators, which is a different story) very much understand the need for good metro transportation. Greater MN desperately needs transit too so they are all on board with statewide investment. In fact, last session was the first time _ever_ that all 80 Minnesota counties agreed on the same transportation funding package -- the one that Pawlenty vetoed.

So what does this have to do with the ballpark? Besides the points I've made earlier, it's important for the public to understand that the ballpark in no way takes away resources from the transportation solution we need or from other state needs.

The people who make the argument, "why waste money on a ballpark when we have so many other pressing needs," are in fact completely captured in Pawlenty's worldview, which is exactly what he wants.

We're so trained by anti-tax rhetoric that we've forgotten that we're actually a state abundant with resources and that we can pretty much do almost anything we want if we have the political will. It's not a matter of dollars. It's a matter of whether certain special interests (I'm talking to you, Minnesota Chamber of Commerce) can actually allow this investment to happen.

Essentially, we need certain very wealthy people in power to be marginalized so they can't stop anything that might increase their 15% tax rate, which is lower than most of us pay, of course.

The ballpark funding is essentially irrelevant in this conversation. It's not an either-or situation. We deserve BOTH.

WORD......what David said :-)

Ever heard the song "I want it all" by Queen? What's wrong with living within your means? as the economy ebbs and flows, so should government spending. It really is that simple. I get a kick out of how most of the social programs and teachers unions characterize a 3 or 4 percent INCREASE in their budgets as a 10 percent CUT just because its less than what they asked for or budgeted.

The Stadium HAS to be part of the equation has most economists measure total tax burden, regardless of what its for, as having the single biggest drain on the economy.

wtf?