Univ. Of Minnesota, Twins Prepare To Debut New Facilities

TCF Bank Stadium On Target To Be Completed On Time And Within Its Budget

The timing is prescient for the Univ. of Minnesota (UM) and the Twins to "unwrap projects they long had sought to reshape their identities," according to Brian Murphy of the ST. PAUL PIONEER PRESS. TCF Bank Stadium and Target Field are "on the down slope of construction, each fully financed before the credit markets seized up and targeted for completion on time within budget." While some corporate sponsors have "peeled off from the Twins, who are adjusting their business model to cope with the downturn during the run-up" to Target Field's '10 opening, UM officials and Twins execs are "self-assured their marketing campaigns and long-term strategies will shepherd successful transitions." The Twins "expect to expand their season-ticket base from 10,000 to about 19,000 over the next year," and 41 of the 54 private suites at Target Field "have been sold, along with 85[%] of the premium seat inventory." Twins President Dave St. Peter also "predicts each section will sell out" by the park's inaugural season. Murphy noted "modern amenities, better sightlines and fresh air are obvious attractions" of Target Field, but St. Peter "believes the Twins' success on the field the past decade, coupled with [MLB's] relatively low prices, are greater assets." The team also "plans to hire 25 to 35 more employees in the next year to help manage the ballpark after the Metropolitan Sports Facilities Commission operated the Metrodome the past 28 years."

FINAL PREPARATIONS: Workers on the UM campus have "completed 80[%] of TCF Bank Stadium and are on schedule to finish" the $288M project by the start of the '09 college football season. UM Associate AD David Crum said that the school is "about $81[M] toward their fundraising goal of $86[M]." He added that the "most generous donations were easier to secure than the final 5-10[%], which means 'we just have to work a little smarter and harder to get there.'" All 54 loge boxes at the stadium "have been sold, along with 30 of 37 luxury suites," but there "still are premium seats available, including 150 of the $3,000 all-inclusive indoor club, and about 200 of the $1,800 outdoor club" (ST. PAUL PIONEER PRESS, 3/2).

Target Field Will Feature Fourth-Largest Scoreboard In Major Leagues

PERFECT FIT: KARE-NBC's Scott Goldberg wrote "from an aerial view, it becomes apparent that contractors have pulled off an architectural squeeze play" with Target Field. Mortenson Construction, the contractor for the project, "took an eight-acre parking lot -- the smallest footprint of any team in [MLB] -- and mushroomed it into a 13-acre site that spreads over railroad tracks and a highway." Mortenson all around the ballpark is "building concourses twice as wide as the walkways at the Metrodome," and the concourses will "offer un-obstructed views of the field." Also, on the ballpark's third base side, "views of the downtown skyline will raise questions about how fans ever were able to tolerate baseball in a stadium with a roof." In left field, the HD video wall will be the "fourth largest scoreboard in the major leagues, measuring in at the equivalent of a 1,392 inch flat-screen TV." Still, St. Peter is "used to skeptical questions about the project and has answers for them all, including that persistent question about the gigantic trash incinerator next door." St. Peter: "The county certainly is taking extra precautions to ensure there are no odor issues" (KARE11.com, 3/1).