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State Representative Paul Anderson
100 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.
651-296-4317
For more information contact: House GOP Communications 651-296-5520
GUEST COLUMN
Sneak peak at new ballpark
By State Rep. Paul Anderson
State legislators were given a tour April 7 of the new Minnesota Twins ballpark. Invited to the sneak preview five days before the regular season opener were current members, along with legislators in office during the 2006 session when the Twins’ stadium bill was passed.
The facility, with a seating capacity of just under 40,000 is impressive. Located compactly on eight acres of land next to the Target Center in downtown Minneapolis, the stadium actually covers 11 acres in its upper reaches. That means builders had to secure rights to the space above three additional acres surrounding the stadium’s actual footprint.
Dave St. Peter, president of the Minnesota Twins, welcomed those in attendance and spoke with pride when he mentioned the new stadium had just received a LEED Silver Certification for its energy-saving features. The Twins’ stadium is only the second ballpark in the nation to receive such a rating. St. Peter added, “I know I’m a bit partial, but this is the finest park in the country. The only other baseball parks, in my opinion, that compare to our facility are the stadiums in San Francisco and Washington D.C.”
Jerry Bell, president of Twins Sports, Inc., said that when designing the new stadium, “We wanted a Minnesota ballpark, not just a cookie-cutter. The total environment of this stadium relates to the fan. The Twins aren’t going to win every game played here, but we want the fans to have a good experience every time they come.”
Our group got caught in fairly heavy traffic when making the trip over from St. Paul and congestion was mentioned as a possible problem. Bell talked about that, saying, “This stadium is the most mass transit-friendly ballpark in the country. There are 250 arrivals right outside the stadium every day by the North Star rail line and the Hiawatha light-rail. In addition, 1,900 bus arrivals are scheduled here every day.”
A member of the Hennepin County Board of Commissioners, Mark Stenglein, hailed the ballpark as a “world-class facility.” He added, “This project was completed on time and was under budget. That’s not to say, however, it wasn’t highly controversial in Hennepin County.”
The highlight of our tour was going through the Twins’ locker room, seeing the stalls of players like Joe Mauer and Justin Morneau, and then walking out the tunnel onto the field itself. With the setting sun reflecting off the Minneapolis skyline beyond center field, the view and the feeling were breath-taking. The Kentucky Bluegrass was the brightest green possible; the remainder of the infield was manicured perfectly.
Ticket prices range from $18 for the upper grandstand outfield area to $275 and membership in the Champion’s Club for a seat behind home plate. To me, a favorite area will be the roof deck, which is sold mainly to groups, with the exception of Thursday and Saturday games, when fans can purchase single tickets.
The outfield scoreboard is huge. An interesting note is that personalized birthday or other messages can be displayed in exchange for a $70 donation to the Twins Community Fund. Messages for birthday greetings for fans 70 years and older and for anniversaries of 25 years or longer will be displayed for no charge.
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Rep. Anderson encourages constituents to contact his office with input regarding any state legislative issue. He can be reached on the web at www.house.mn/13A and via email at rep.paul.anderson@house.mn. To contact Anderson by phone, call (651) 296-4317. Mail can be sent to Rep. Paul Anderson, 239 State Office Building, 100 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., St. Paul, Minnesota 55155.
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