Home TCTraders InGameMagic

Theme:

Sunny Steel Stroll

October 10, 2008 3:08 AM

It was midday yesterday and I had to be downtown so, as I always do, I zipped on over to the ballpark site to get a quick look and some pictures. First up was the roof of the Minikahda building (click to enlarge):

What a view! I noticed a group of hard hats down Fifth Street looking at the tracks. One of those, I believe was our own AP, who offered a link to his photo gallery from the trip. Thanks, AP!

Next I headed down to the street and got a look at Gate 29 "Carew" which is rapidly taking shape in steel:

As you can see, some of the steel supports for the stadia are starting to appear, including the long one for the center field pavilion. At some point in 2010 I plan to see a game from right there:

At one point I was able to stick my camera in and get a look at what's going on beneath the steel (photos below), but then I moved on to the B ramp for a look at the plaza.

They were pouring concrete over a layer of sand over another layer of concrete on the plaza. Very perplexing:

Finally, I headed over to Seventh Street to get a look at the limestone and see what sorts of details had changed. As I walked back, I noticed a fellow in a suit jacket standing down at the corner of Seventh and Second, clearly admiring the work and making his way casually toward me. It was Jerry Bell.

Jerry always seems like a proud papa when looking at the ballpark construction. It's obvious that he's every bit as much a ballpark fan as the rest of us, and he's been the lucky one to have final say on pretty much everything in the design of this one.

He recognized me and greeted me warmly, explaining that he was just on his lunch break and it seemed like a good day to wander down this direction for a look. (On what type of day could he resist such temptation, I wondered!)

He mentioned that he can't see the steel work in center field from his office window and was curious (his office view being more or less the same as webcam #1). He also said again how pleased he is with the look of the limestone, something which becomes more and more evident as the Seventh Street facade continues toward completion in the coming months.

"They're trying to get as much enclosed as possible before winter," he explained, and then confirmed that everything is still right on schedule.

It was a brief conversation. We said our goodbyes and then he continued his lunch stroll up Seventh Street to do just what so many of us have done: peer through the fence, get a glimpse of the progress, and dream a little bit.

I headed back to my day, huffing and puffing from the whirlwind tour, but with my head filled once again with baseball dreams.

A special welcome today to new visitors from La Velle E. Neale's blogroll! Glad to have you with us.

I think AP is in there somewhere...

Supports for the little sections in the outfield.

The steel cage expands.

Supports viewed from beneath. These seats will be just a few feet from the outside edge of the building!

Work going on under the steel.

Gate 29 "Carew" is at right.

Sky through steel.

Very interesting detail starting to appear here.

Glass!

Comments

To utilized enhanced comment features, please enable cookies in your browser.

You caught me. I am one of the three yellow hats on the right. I wondered while I was down there if you would be out getting more photos. It would have been cool to thank you in person for the site.

Posted on October 10, 2008 at 07:14 AM by AP 1

great pics Rick, thanks AP!

Posted on October 10, 2008 at 07:47 AM by mazaratirick 2

do you know if all of the gates will already be named for twins hall of famers?it would be cool if there is a chance a player in twenty years (mauer?) could have his name on a gate without taking one from oliva, hrbek, etc.

Posted on October 10, 2008 at 07:56 AM by annoying customer 3

so they've already designated a twins great with their respective gates. i didn't know that had been done as of yet. thanks for the great info and visuals. centerfield will be carew...is the plaza gate kirby's?

Posted on October 10, 2008 at 08:51 AM by Tim 4

Nice work, Rick. Each morning when I walk by the site, I continue to be impressed by the size and "grandeur" of the Carew entrance. Maybe it's because it's steel and it's gone up so quick...

AP - I am so friggin jealous of you.

Posted on October 10, 2008 at 10:34 AM by OG Jeff 5

I happened upon this site thanks to LEN III, and I couldn't be happier. This is an outstanding site. Keep up the good work and photographic evidence that we are actually going to have a real baseball stadium in 2010.

Posted on October 10, 2008 at 10:34 AM by Q 6

when I was at the multi foods building for the season ticket sales pitch they said that they had a contingency plan if Burt Blyleven gets inducted to the HOF, the Burt Blyleven Honorary Loading Dock. Overall the presentation was very good, and we ended up getting tickets.

Posted on October 10, 2008 at 10:59 AM by brad 7

Awesome pictures Rick! Does anybody know what those things are wrapped in white sitting on the concourses? are they more escalators or what?

Posted on October 10, 2008 at 11:07 AM by Erik 8

As always, thank you for taking pics Rick.

It looks like the glass will be the same color of green/blue as the ballpark model. I can't wait to see the progress over the next few months.

Posted on October 10, 2008 at 12:24 PM by Lafferty 9

Being in the construction business, I would guess that the first layer of concrete is structural then the backfil rather than more concrete to save on money then the second layer is elevate that part of the plaza. But that is just a guess, if they start doing it everywhere else on the plaza then I'm sure I'm wrong

Posted on October 10, 2008 at 1:20 PM by Design/Build Guy 10

@ Design/Build Guy

Spot on.

Crews will be doing the same thing right next to the pro shop, as well.

Posted on October 10, 2008 at 1:53 PM by Lou 11

Awesome pics, Rick! Thanks! I'm jealous of all you guys being able to walk down to the site...and casually bump into Jerry Bell too.

Also, Target unofficially opened it's doors this past Tuesday. The official Grand Opening is this Sunday. So let the money start piling up for enhancements and additions to our OUTDOOR ballpark!

Posted on October 10, 2008 at 3:11 PM by chuck in ak 12

Hide Facebook box

BallparkMagic on Facebook

This page was last modified on January 21, 2010.

"The only thing the ballpark can give a visitor that he cannot get anywhere else is baseball."

– Shannon/Kalinsky

This site is a labor of love for the game of baseball and the ballparks where it is played.

Your donations are welcome. Any amount is helpful and will reduce the need to rely on pay-per-click advertising.

Thank you!

Explore the Site

Here are 50 images chosen randomly from the 1869 found on this site. Click the image to be taken to the original post. A new list is created every 10 minutes.

Overview of the storage tracks.

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

Marquette looking south

Believe it or not, the actual outfield wall will be about where this fence is now!

Our host points to the Puckett Atrium on the diagram.

Wow! Looking good.

Spring of 1982 (click to enlarge greatly -- can you pick out Kent Hrbek?)

Security cones?

Now, why is there horse shit on the street next to Target Field? (I saw it in two places. Mounted police maybe?)

First Avenue at left, bike parking area at lower right

The Pantheon (with inset of the magic eye)

You are forgiven for wondering whether architect Tom Oslund is, in fact, a visitor from the future.

Here is Seventh Street viewed from the west looking toward downtown. This will probably be the most pedestrian-friendly side (other than the plaza), but only if there is some psychological barrier between the people on foot and the people in their dangerously fast-moving automobiles.

Here's the view from the main concourse out through Gate 3 "Killebrew".

Um, I think that guy is out.

Looking back toward the park from just beyond the north end of the Northstar platform.

A very busy place, as viewed from Target Center.

The circulation ramp on the north now has its louver framing.

Plaza overview

Shh. Don't tell those people working behind the ticket windows about these automated ticketing machines (underneath the plaza stairs)

Red is old Yankee Stadium. This diagram comes from FieldOfSchemes.com

Playing surface dirt out there? Maybe. (click to enlarge)

It looks like the Target-themed signage has spilled out to the surrounding area (this was taken from the entryway to the B ramp from Third -- the 394 entrance ramp tunnel)

Bassett Creek's original path (Source: Metropolitan Design Center)

Here's the current overview from the south side of the B ramp (from which the banner at the top of this page was culled).

Final Metrodome baseball sight

Also from the B ramp entrance off of Third, a look up at the tiny crack between ballpark and parking ramp

This will be a bar/restaurant.

The outfield stands taking shape.

Also warming things up are these planters.

This would have been the HERC side, though it's unclear just how far over the plant the retracted roof would have gone. My fear was always that they would have to shorten the track and more of the roof would have stayed over the ballpark. The only good retractable roof is one which disappears when not in use. I don't think they could have realistically created such a thing.

I don't know if the back side is also a test for materials, but it could be a hint of how the exposed steel supports will be finished. Or it could just be to hold up the stone.

Cleveland

Upper deck view of the out-of-town scoreboard.

Workers against green

Directly above the ceiling here is the hidden concourse which served the upper deck prior to the renovation. That concourse was closed off to the public, but became a service level for ballpark employees. It's one of the many quirks which will be lost when the wrecking ball takes the place away.