Wishful Fields Archive Target Field History

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No More Guesswork

May 10, 2007 11:34 PM

COMMENT

Today was an amazing day, and I had some very good luck. A client meeting took me downtown, so I buzzed over to get a few more photos before they start tearing up the asphalt. My timing was perfect.

Things are already getting pretty heated up. While I was there, the surveyors were marking all the important spots, starting with home plate!

Yep, it's marked right there on the ground, along with all the bases, foul poles, outfield walls, backstop area, and so much more. I couldn't begin to document it all. (I hope to get down there again tomorrow to finish what I started.)

Even the location of Bassett Creek was marked off:

I also bumped into a fellow trying to figure out how to get his trucks into the site, and one of those sniffers employed by Hennepin County to keep tabs on the garbage burner. I don't know what she detected, but I detected no odor at all.

Double plays will be turned here.

News reports had said that Third Avenue North was already closed, but it's still open. It's scheduled to close permanently on May 21. The bridge on North Fifth Street, on the other hand, is already closed. It's already a big hole in the ground at the Ford Centre end.

Many of the markings for the outfield fence are actually out in the street. This emphasizes just how tight everything is. There won't be much main concourse walking space out beyond the fence in right-center!

Just one lane of traffic and a couple of feet between the fence in right-center and the wall of the parking ramp!

Now, I think I actually believe there's gonna be a ballpark built here!

Comments

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Very cool. Do you know if they plan on doing anything with creek? Or is it dried up?

Posted on May 11, 2007 at 09:27 AM by Lafferty Daniel 1

Thanks for the pics. Too bad that Multi-Foods tower is where its at. Whoever approved the design of that should be out of a job. Its probably the same person that designed the Ivy tower.

Posted on May 11, 2007 at 10:05 AM by IowaWigman 2

Lafferty,

I added a link in the text above to clarify the reference to Bassett Creek. It's been flowing beneath the site for a long time...

Posted on May 11, 2007 at 10:54 AM by Rick 3

Thanks for the pics! So great to be able to keep track of the developments/progess on here.

Your pics of the "FENCE" marking got me thinking and I looked back to the stadium drawings. I guess I never really noticed the 6th Ave lookout...I assumed it was more enclosed in the ballpark than it is...if you look in the pictures, that whole area next to the parking garage is VERY open giving pretty much full views from the plaza/street. Interesting idea! (Especially given the space constrictions). I'm trying to think of any other ballparks where the field is so visibly accessible from outside the park like it looks like ours will be coming in from right... Seems like most other parks have a lot of seats out that way but we must not be able to.

Posted on May 11, 2007 at 11:19 AM by StadiumFan 4

Thanks Rick. So is there any chance the creek will become visible in the new park? Has St. Peter addressed this?

Posted on May 11, 2007 at 12:09 PM by Lafferty Daniel 5

I mentioned it to Dave last year, but he had no response. Based on the floor plans they have published, it looks like it will remain buried. They appear to be treating it more or less like a sewer (which is how it's been treated for a long time).

Posted on May 11, 2007 at 12:18 PM by Rick 6

wow i grow up in this area going to be a ballpark here when i was 14years old about the time the twins won the first world series dream about a ballpark in this area hear the fan going crazy it here.wow

Posted on May 11, 2007 at 1:48 PM by tomeko taylor 7

I love this website. Keep it up. I just wanted to clarify a couple of things. I went out to the site today after seeing this days post. I was talking with a couple of Mortinson Construction guys who where there. They informed me that the "fence" markings on 3rd Ave. Are NOT for the outfield fences, but where a fence will be going up to surround the construction site next week. Leaving only the one lane open for trucks to come and go from the site. Also the marking that you interpreted as being the backstop, are for another purpose, but not that of the distance to backstop.

Posted on May 11, 2007 at 3:57 PM by John 8

One other thing. The Mortinson Construction guys also pointed out to me a small gold cicle that is inside the top large pink circle just above the "HP" marking. That gold point marks within 1/4 of and inch where the back of home plate will be. If you look real close to photo above you can see it.

Posted on May 11, 2007 at 4:41 PM by John 9

Things are moving along kids. I was looking at my photos I took today, and the 3 handicapped signs pictured above, by 2nd base are now gone. Also an electric company crew were removing power lines that stretch from pole to pole that are used to light the lot at night.

Posted on May 11, 2007 at 5:37 PM by John 10

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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.

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).

People! (In the Legends Club)

Click to enlarge greatly.

Roped off for the LRT crowd

Seals Stadium

Steps, skyway, and plaza intersect.

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).

Inside the Metropolitan Club. Classic photo of a youthful Bob Casey at far right. (Photo by Tyler Wycoff)

Click to enlarge greatly

LRT at the ballpark

This is the area above the pro shop, with some new support structure

The Target Center rooftop patio. Hardly glamorous, but a great view of the ballpark.

Ticket booths.

A sidewalk has sprouted between the HERC and the LRT tracks!

The limestone theme is apparently carried to the area behind home plate. This will look great -- and distinctive -- on TV. But watch out for those foul balls!

A skyway-level view down Seventh Street.

A look at Gate 34.

Since pictures of the ballpark are forbidden, perhaps you'll enjoy this shot of the lovely apple tree in my front yard.

Compare this picture, from the open house in March, with the one above and you'll see that some furniture reconfiguration has taken place.

Staircase entrance. You cannot miss them.

Party deck down the right field line

Panels arriving on flatbed trailers in front of the Twins' dugout.

This area will supposedly show the Twins chronology. Will it stretch back to 1901?

This little item stands just to the south of the site, where the volleyball courts used to be. It has to be related to exterior finishing elements, which means this is the first glimpse of the actual stone to be used. Very buttery.