Target Center Renovation

[Jfuss]

A tweet from Jerry Zgoda tonight...

Wolves, city of Minneapolis & AEG call a Monday a.m. news conference to "update" Target Center renovations. After all these delays, a deal?

[seanrichardryan]

Please.

[matt91486]

A tweet from Jerry Zgoda tonight...

Wolves, city of Minneapolis & AEG call a Monday a.m. news conference to "update" Target Center renovations. After all these delays, a deal?

Per twitter again, here are details:

"City of Minneapolis contributes $48.5M, Wolves $43M, AEG $5.5M for $97M T.C. renovation. There's also $50M capital improvement fund"

"T.C. renovation agreement extends Wolves and Lynx leases to 2032. Design work starts this winter, construction next summer, 18-24 months"

I assume they'll have to wait until after the All-Star Game at Target Field to start the construction work for practical reasons of wanting us to look good on TV.

[mamundsen]

I wonder what will be included and what will be cut from the designs we saw earlier? I am sure most of this will be focused on the interior but I REALLY hope that they open up the exterior with some glass. Even if it is only on the northern half that faces Target Field and 6th st corner.

[Jfuss]

From Twinsdaily.com...

Dave St. Peter stated, "After the 2013 season, St. Peter said, the team might seek help with upgrades for the 2014 All-Star Game. Under consideration is a remaking of the concessions areas, a stronger connection to a renovated Target Center, and new video boards."

I wonder what was meant by a stronger connection to a renovated Target Center. I guess since the renovation budget was agreed so late in the game and the renovation won't start until after the all star game we will never really know.

[twincitizen]

Here's the actual tweet/photo from Eric Roper (@StribRoper) https://twitter.com/StribRoper/statuses ... 9462823936

And a Strib MPLS Blog post: http://www.startribune.com/local/blogs/229558591.html

[mister.shoes]

The blog post does mention improvements to the exterior. Let's hope those are substantial enough to make it actually *attractive* on the outside.

As for the "stronger connection," I really hope that means proper entrances to/from the plaza "arms" that stretch across 394—or even an expansion of the plaza at the Target Center end to address that building instead of treating it as the thing in the way (which, let's be honest, it currently is). There's a real opportunity to make the plaza serve Target Center [almost] as well as it serves Target Field. That entire back side of Target Center should not only be made more attractive, but also opened up to be more inviting. There's enough activity on that side of DT now that the city can stop treating 2nd Ave like a back alley and start seeing it as a valuable street with active use surrounding it on both sides.

[seanrichardryan]

I had imagined they would move most of the loading to 2nd ave...

[Tyler]

Maybe they will; but those initial plans just called for an expansion of the dock facilities facing 7th.

[mister.shoes]

I got a little excited as I was typing and didn't think through that side of the building well enough. The arms of the plaza reach Target Center quite a bit higher than street level, obviously. That level should get the attention I was blabbering about: make a mini plaza against the side of Target Center at that higher level with proper entrances and good foot traffic flow toward 6th and 7th. Perhaps widen the plaza arm at the 6th St end so it's easier for Target Center to address/make use of the entire Target Plaza. The loading can (and should) be down below against 2nd so the rather large open area along 7th St can be used better by people.

[Wedgeguy]

Not sure how the lower concourse is laid out, but would that not be about where the Fitness Club would be located, I could be wrong?

[Jfuss]

Does anyone know why the price drop from the original 150 to the now 97 million for the renovation? What are they now leaving out?

[Rich]

This story attempts to answer that question.

http://blogs.mprnews.org/stadium-watch/ ... enovation/

The Wolves spokesman says they may lose the big cantilevered roof line. Also, there will be a new batch of renderings forthcoming.

[Tyler]

Interesting that the city seems to have "won" this negotiation outright. Compared the the preliminary agreement, private funding remained as projected and public funding was cut in half. So what happens to the "saved" $50 million?

[John]

Interesting that the city seems to have "won" this negotiation outright. Compared the the preliminary agreement, private funding remained as projected and public funding was cut in half. So what happens to the "saved" $50 million?

What I read on "Skyscrapercity" is the $50 million will be put into a capital improvement fund for future arena updates as needed to keep it competitive. The good news about the exterior is they will retain the glass atrium on the corner to open it up at the critical intersection across from Block E and along the walkway to Target Field. It will create a very visible and transparent entrance for the arena , which IMO is currently the worst aspect of the exterior. I'm glad they made this a priority in the revised design!

[robotlollipop]

This story attempts to answer that question.

http://blogs.mprnews.org/stadium-watch/ ... enovation/

The Wolves spokesman says they may lose the big cantilevered roof line. Also, there will be a new batch of renderings forthcoming.

That bums me out, It reminded me of the Vikings stadium.

[Didier]

For everyone discussing the initial renderings:

And as has been the case with both the Vikings stadium and St. Paul’s Lowertown Ballpark, it looks like the initial renderings will be scrubbed and architects set to work on a new batch. Johnson said the term sheet calls for the city, the Wolves and AEG to form a design committee within 30 days and get the project out for design bids as soon as possible.

[Tyler]

For everyone discussing the initial renderings:

I saw that. And yet Mr. Johnson himself is discussing the previous renderings specifically in other quotes.

[Jfuss]

This story attempts to answer that question.

http://blogs.mprnews.org/stadium-watch/ ... enovation/

The Wolves spokesman says they may lose the big cantilevered roof line. Also, there will be a new batch of renderings forthcoming.

I'm happy the reached a deal, but I got frustrated when I read this comment from the Wolves

“The architects basically gave us an A and a B and a C version of this project. That original figure was for the A version,” Johnson said. “We don’t have enough to do the A version. It’s like rather than doing a gold-plated version, we’re going for the silver plated version…."

It doesn't seem like a smart thing to say from your Chief Marketing Officer. I have a feeling this renovation will be underwhelming at best.

[RailBaronYarr]

https://streets.mn/2013/10/29/target-ce ... e-numbers/