Target Field
Template:Future stadium Template:Infobox Baseball Stadium Twins Ballpark is the working title of the future stadium for the Minnesota Twins in Minneapolis, Minnesota. It will be the franchise's sixth ballpark and third in Minnesota, replacing their current ballpark, the Metrodome.
The stadium will be a 42,000 seat ballpark on the north edge of downtown Minneapolis between 5th and 7th streets near the Warehouse District and the Target Center; it is planned to have an unobstructed view of the downtown skyline. The field is designed to be broadly similar to that of Pittsburgh's PNC Park[citation needed], deemed by the Twins to be a "neutral" park which favors neither hitters nor pitchers; the current Metrodome with its white teflon ceiling is often said to be a "hitter's park", favoring the offense. Fan amenities are anticipated to be designed after those of the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, the last major sports venue built in the area. Although earlier proposals called for the park to be built with a retractable roof, the current version of the park has neither a roof nor provisions to install one.
Current estimates put the stadium cost at $390 million, while infrastructure and financing costs would bring the total to $522 million. Work on the site began on May 21, 2007, with the official groundbreaking for the stadium taking place August 30, 2007,[1] delayed from the original date of August 2 due to the I-35W Bridge Collapse.[2] The first concrete slab was poured on December 17, 2007.[3] The Twins have targeted 2015 as a year to host the Major League Baseball All-Star Game.[4]
Development
Early Plans
Plans for moving the Twins out of the Metrodome began to take serious shape in the mid-1990s. By 1995, the Twins had found a new site just north of the Metrodome, on a large piece of land next to the Mississippi River.Cite error: The <ref> tag name cannot be a simple integer (see the help page). Located in the old Mills District, the stadium would have sat next to the current Guthrie Theater; the cleared land for the stadium eventually became Gold Medal Park, a public park, in 2007.Cite error: The <ref> tag name cannot be a simple integer (see the help page). During the 1995 Minnesota legislative session, the proposed Mississippi River-sited stadium would have cost $300 million less than the proposed ballpark which eventually passed the legislature eleven years later.Cite error: The <ref> tag name cannot be a simple integer (see the help page).
The Twins underwent turbulent times in the late-1990s and into the new century: in 1997, owner Carl Pohlad almost sold the Twins to North Carolina businessman Don Beaver, who would have moved the team to the Piedmont Triad (Greensboro - Winston-Salem - High Point) area of the state. The defeat of a referendum for a stadium in that area and a lack of interest in building a stadium for the Twins in Charlotte killed the deal. In 2001, the Twins, along with the Montreal Expos (who eventually became the Washington Nationals), were identified as a target for MLB "contraction" (elimination) by Commissioner Bud Selig after a vote by MLB owners.[5] The contraction plans were shelved after the Minnesota Supreme Court upheld a lower court ruling requiring the Twins to play baseball in the Metrodome in 2003; however the pressure did spur the Minnesota House to vote in favor of some stadium legislation as well as support from then-Governor Jesse Ventura[6][7]
Legislation and funding
A state law passed in 1997 requires anytime a county seeks to raise its sale tax, the question needs to be put before the voters. The law also allows a county to seek permission from the state to enact the tax without a voter’s referendum. The Minnesota Legislature did not act on the bill during the 2005 session.
On April 26 2005, the Twins and Hennepin County announced that a deal had been reached, in which the Twins would pay roughly 1/3 of the stadium's cost ($125 million), with the rest being paid for by a 0.15% Hennepin County sales tax. The deal would need to be approved by the Hennepin County Board. After delaying the vote one week, on May 3 the Board voted 4-3 in favor of the stadium deal, with the vote falling entirely along gender lines (men supporting). Minneapolis mayor R.T. Rybak (DFL) had already weighed in favor of the stadium, a move said to hurt his bid for the party's endorsement for re-election. The plan passed its second hurdle on May 9, 2005 when a House committee of the Minnesota Legislature approved a bill to get around the referendum to be sent to the floor on a 17-5 vote. This legislation languished before the full Legislature, during a particularly gridlocked session, and was placed on the back burner, pending resolution of "more pressing" legislation. Naming rights belong to the Minnesota Twins.
In the 2006 session, the Minnesota House of Representatives passed the bill that would allow the team and county to go around the referendum. The Minnesota Senate also passed a version of the bill, but their version would also build a stadium for the Minnesota Vikings and fund transit projects. The two bills spent most of the legislative session in conference committee. The bill was passed by a 71-61 vote in the House and a 34-32 vote in the Senate. A ballot referendum, called for by many Hennepin County residents, was deemed infeasible due to the time-critical nature of the bill (a referendum would have to wait until the November general election, while dates for the Twins to play in the Metrodome in 2007 needed to be applied for by July 1). Under the legislation, $392 million in public subsidy is provided through the Hennepin County sales tax increase for the $522 million project. The ballpark is scheduled to be open for the 2010 baseball season, the Twins' 50th season in Minnesota. The final bill was approved on May 21 and was signed by governor Tim Pawlenty before the Twins' May 26 home game against the Seattle Mariners. The final version is substantially identical to the House version, with language relating to both the transit tax and the Vikings stadium stripped.
The County Board approved the ballpark plan 5-2 on June 20, 2006 (Commissioner Gail Dorfman, previously an opponent of the park, switched sides, stating that the park was a done deal and the focus now was on implementing it in the most responsible way possible). The area also still faces an environmental impact study, though it is expected to pass.
In mid-February of 2007, funding and acquisition ran into a snag due to the fact that the purchase price had not been previously negotiated when the State bill was passed and the current owners of the land were asking for a higher price than was expected. On April 4, 2007, Dave St. Peter, Twins president and the head of the team's ballpark committee, announced that an agreement had been reached that would have the Twins paying a portion of the difference between Land Partners II's asking price and the county's budget for the land. As a result, after a four-month impasse, the Hennepin County board voted on April 10, 2007 to use eminent domain to acquire the land with the Twins helping to cover acquisition costs beyond the county's previous $13.5 million offer.[8] Before construction could begin, the Twins also reached a related agreement with the Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway, which owns property adjacent to the site.[9][10] With the issue over land moving forward, the Twins presented the official design of the new stadium on April 12; it had been delayed due to the land dispute.[11]
On May 1, 2007, Hennepin County officially took control of the land after placing $13.75 million into a court escrow account; although the court would still need to officially determine the price of the land in the condemnation process, the Twins agreed to pay any costs beyond the amount deposited.[10] The action assured that the construction of the stadium would begin on June 1, 2007.[12] In late August, a three-member condemnation panel ruled that the parcel was worth $23.8 million; developers had claimed that the fair market value was $65 million.[13] On October 15, 2007, the two sides reached a negotiated settlement of just under $29 million, ending the dispute; as a result the County noted it would have to cut back on some improvements to the surrounding streetscapes, though it also revealed that the Pohlad family had committed another $15 million for infrastructure.[14]
Design
HOK Sport, the lead architectural design firm, tried to avoid creating a replica of the old-style brick Camden Yards or modern urban design of the new Nationals Park (both also designed by HOK Sport).[15] Instead, the design for the new Twins Stadium employs local limestone, Minnesota fir trees outside the outfield, heated viewing areas and a heated field.[15][16] The stadium does not have a roof, rather a canopy.[16] The stadium will be adjacent to a new stop on the Hiawatha Line light rail system as well as the Minneapolis terminus of the Northstar Commuter Rail line to the northern suburbs.
Criticism
Public funding
Controversy over a publicly funded stadium has plagued the Twins for over a decade. Critics argue this is corporate welfare and Hennepin County citizens weren't allowed to vote even though state law passed in 1997 called for a referendum when a county wanted to raise the sales tax. The same state law also allows a county to seek a waiver from the referendum. The 2006 developments were met with much opposition to exempt Hennepin County from a mandatory referendum. Both the Senate (34-32) and House (71-61) passed the exemption by slim margins on the final day of regular session and was signed by Governor Tim Pawlenty. Pawlenty has expressed concern that the Twins were in danger of leaving town if a new stadium was not funded. Backing up the governor's position was the fact that Major League Baseball's previous collective bargaining agreement allowed them to fold up to two clubs following the 2006 season.
A majority in polls have found that the voters want a referendum, but the Twins and some of the commissioners have opposed it saying that it places the plan in jeopardy. Overall opposition was lessened by the fact that only Hennepin County will see an increased sales tax, There also was some speculation that once Carl Pohlad no longer owned the team they might have moved without a new stadium. The new stadium seemingly ensures the team will play in Minneapolis free of contraction or threats to relocate.
No roof
The current proposal has been criticized for not including a retractable roof, nor provisions for one in the future, while previous plans included a roof. A retractable roof would add $100 million to the total cost of the stadium. None of the parties (Twins, Hennepin County or the state) were willing to pay for a retractable roof. Much like other northern cities with outdoor professional baseball (i.e. Chicago, Detroit, Boston, Cleveland) the weather in Minneapolis during a 162-game baseball season and playoffs can vary from early spring snow and perhaps very cold temperatures, to rain and hot, humid weather. The Metrodome is climate-controlled, and has protected the baseball schedule during the entire time that it has been the venue for the Minnesota Twins. However, many Twins fans and baseball purists argue that this same sterile, climate-controlled environment creates a less-than-desirable atmosphere for watching baseball. The financial impact of adding a retractable roof is the other main reason that a roof will not be included in the new ballpark, and probably the decisive factor. The Twins have suggested that the some or all of the seats may be heated, although they have not confirmed this or said how it would be done.
Smaller size
The site has also been criticized due to its small size, about one million square feet. The site is about the same size as that of Fenway Park, though it will have roughly 3,200 more seats.
Many have shown concern [citation needed] for the logistics of the 5,000 people that will arrive every game via the Hiawatha light rail, because rather than unloading onto a broad plaza like that at the Metrodome, passengers will arrive and leave the ballpark in a space about 23 feet wide, roughly the width of a double garage. Others worry that not enough attention is being paid to make sure that the neighborhoods around the stadium, where related development is expected to occur, are not inadvertently walled off [citation needed]. As things stand, an 8-foot-high wall along the light-rail line will keep pedestrians from crossing N. 5th Street near the ballpark. There are also the Northstar Commuter Rail and Cedar Lake Trail lines coming into the small space around the stadium.
Comparison to Metrodome
| New Ballpark | Metrodome | |
|---|---|---|
| Seats | 42,000 | 56,000 |
| Lower Deck Seats | 20,000 | 21,621 |
| Private Suites | 60 | 115* |
| Group Party Suites | 12 | 1 |
| Club Level Seats | 3,000 | N/A |
| Upper Deck Seats | †12,482 | 28,779 |
| Disabled Seating | 820 | 190 |
| Lower/Club Seats Between 1st/3rd | +/- 12,037 | 6,679 |
| Outfield Seats | +/- 6,748 | 18,594 |
| Seats w/ Obstructed Views | 0 | 1,392 |
| Main Concourse | 40 feet, open to field | 22 feet, closed to field |
| Total Restrooms | 34 | 16 |
- *Controlled by Vikings
- †Smallest in MLB according to MLB.com
| Preceded by Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome 1982–present (2009 planned) |
Future home of the Minnesota Twins Planned opening 2010 |
Succeeded by None |
References
- ^ "Twins ballpark groundbreaking rescheduled for Thursday, Aug. 30". MLB Advanced Media. 2007-08-09. Retrieved 2007-08-10.
- ^ Chros McDougall, Construction under way at ballpark site, Downtown Journal, May 21, 2007.
- ^ Dave St. Peter, Twins Ballpark Update
- ^ Dave St. Peter, Twins Target 2015 for All-Star Game’s Return to Minnesota, Minnesota Twins Ballpark Blog, July 9, 2007.
- ^ Michael Khoo, [Court rules against Twins in Metrodome lease case], Minnesota Public Radio, January 22, 2002.
- ^ Bob Collins, Selig says Twins' contraction still 'a possibility', Minnesota Public Radio, March 26, 2002.
- ^ Brian Bakst, Ventura signs $330 million Twins stadium bill, Associated Press, May 22, 2002.
- ^ John Vomhof Jr., County will seize land for Twins site; Twins will chip in, Minneapolis / St. Paul Business Journal, April 10, 2007.
- ^ Mike Kaszuba, Twins step up to plate for ballpark land, Star Tribune, April 10, 2007.
- ^ a b John Vomhof Jr., County moves ahead with stadium site plan,Minneapolis / St. Paul Business Journal, May 1, 2007 Cite error: The named reference "MSPBJ050107" was defined multiple times with different content (see the help page).
- ^ What's Next?, Star Tribune, April 10, 2007.
- ^ Mike Kaszuba, County takes title of land for Twins ballpark, Star Tribune, May 1, 2007.
- ^ "Twins ballpark land price ruling leans toward county offer". Minnesota Public Radio. 2007-08-20. Retrieved 2007-08-20.
- ^ Rochelle Olson, Stadium land feud ends with cost stretching to $29 million, Star Tribune, October 15, 2007.
- ^ a b Mike Kaszuba, Twins ballpark: Above us ... only sky, Star Tribune, April 12, 2007.
- ^ a b John Gilbert, Renderings for new Twins park shown, mlb.com, April 12, 2007.
- Official Developer website
- Twins, Gophers score stadium victories from Star-Tribune
- Twins Ballpark page on Ballparks.com
- GOP Opposition
- The Taxpayers League of Minnesota
- The Twins Stadium Bill MN State Legislature HF2480, SF2297
- Metrodome/New Ballpark Comparison
- Twinsville
- [1] Minnesota Legislative Reference Library: Baseball Stadiums