Minnesota United Owner Bill McGuire said that Allianz Field is "still set" to open for the '19 MLS season, according to Megan Ryan of the Minneapolis STAR TRIBUNE. Some decisions are "still being deliberated, mostly on amenities and design elements, such as colors for the stadium interior." McGuire said that the team is "considering a roof deck opposite the supporters’ section and several club areas, including one on the north end that would be open to the public beyond just match days and offer a look out onto the pitch." The team is also "looking into a scoreboard with a giant clock and hang-up numbers." The "privately financed, nearly 19,000-capacity stadium was originally estimated" to cost $150M, but that rose to $200M late last month. McGuire said the increase was "mostly just a reality of finalizing plans, but some factors did increase the price." Among them were "adding more roof and kitchens for concessions and enclosing the whole stadium in a translucent PTFE laminate mesh skin that will allow the venue to change color thanks to LED lighting" (Minneapolis STAR TRIBUNE, 8/11). In St. Paul, Andy Greder reports the Kentucky bluegrass that will "form the playing surface" is "expected to start growing on a Colorado farm this week or next." Mortenson Construction, who is building the venue, has been "testing how different LED lighting will project over a large sample panel of the roof." McGuire has "sought an 'architecturally interesting' roof with a sort of herring bone design within the overall contours, a feature that will differentiate it from most other MLS venues." The roof has been a "substantial driver in the higher cost" (ST. PAUL PIONEER PRESS, 8/11).
