Stadium Watch Blog

Now, on Target (Center)

There's been a lot of attention on the Vikings stadium, and now the other half of that stadium deal -- the renovation of Target Center -- is about to get off the ground. The city announced today it was setting up the "implementation committee" that will guide the planned $135 million (and now $100 million) renovation of the city-owned basketball arena. The diversion of city hospitality taxes to help fund the renovation was a predicate of the approval on the Vikings stadium deal. It isn't clear yet when the Target Center work will start, but the meetings have, anyway.

Here's the release:

October 18, 2012 (MINNEAPOLIS) - The City of Minneapolis' Target Center Implementation Committee will hold its first meeting today. While negotiations between the City, the Minnesota Timberwolves and other partners about the scope and costs of Target Center renovation are ongoing, the Implementation Committee will begin the process of setting the City's priorities for the design of the renovated Target Center and improvements to the public realm in the surrounding area.

The committee will meet from 4:30-6:00 p.m. today in Hospitality Rooms A and B at the Target Center.

"While other cities that built arenas at the same time as Target Center have already torn them down and built new ones at great expense, in Minneapolis, we're sensibly renovating an existing asset at far less cost," said Mayor R.T. Rybak. "The Implementation Committee will help us make sure that a renovated Target Center lives up to its potential as a jewel of downtown Minneapolis."

 

And here's the list of committee members.

Chair:

  • Jerry Bell, chairman of the Minnesota Twins

City of Minneapolis representatives:

  • R.T. Rybak, mayor

  • Barbara Johnson, City Council president

  • Elizabeth Glidden, council member

  • Lisa Goodman, council member

  • John Quincy, council member

  • Don Samuels, council member

  • Meg Tuthill, council member

Public representatives:

  • Tim Baylor - Founder and president, JADT Development Group

  • Steve Benson - President, Benson Medical

  • Pat Denzer -  Resident

  • Kevin Dooley - Adjunct faculty member, University of Minnesota Law School

  • Kelly Doran - Founder, Doran Companies

  • David Evelo - Resident

  • Archie Givens - President and CEO, Legacy Management & Development Corporation

  • Devean George - Founder and president, George Group North

  • Joanne Kaufman - Executive director, Warehouse District Business Association

  • Fred Krohn - Resident

  • Dan McConnell - Business manager, Minneapolis Building and Construction Trades CouncilAndrew Parker - Partner, Parker Rosen LLC

  • Karen Rosar - Vice president, North Loop Neighborhood Association

  • Brian Woolsey - Senior vice president, Cassidy Turley