Target Field - Minnesota Twins

Target Field Facts, Figures & Footnotes

Construction cost: $555 million

Financing: A public-private partnership, specifically 64% public and 36% private, with the breakdown of funding sources as follows: $350 million was paid by Hennepin County taxpayers with bonds that are being paid back with revenue from a 0.15% special county sales tax that is in effect for 30 years; the Twins paid $195 million and another $10 million was split by three parties -- Target Corporation ($4.5 million), Minnesota Department of Transportation ($3.5 million) and Minnesota Ballpark Authority ($2 million). The MNDOT and MBA are public entities.

Architect: Populous

Construction manager: Mortenson Construction

Groundbreaking took place on August 30, 2007 and construction took just under 28 months to complete as the ballpark's certificate of occupancy was granted on December 22, 2009.

Located on an 8-acre site in the Warehouse District of downtown Minneapolis that is 2 miles northwest of the Metrodome, where the Twins played from 1982 through 2009.

Naming rights: Acquired by Target Corporation on September 15, 2008, when it was announced that Minneapolis-based Target and the Twins had agreed to a 25-year deal. Although not officially released, the estimated total value of the deal has been pegged by analysts at $100 to $125 million.

Owned by the Minnesota Ballpark Authority, a governmental agency created by the state legislature in May of 2006 to oversee the design, construction and operation of a new ballpark for the Twins. The MBA owns the ballpark and the land on which it stands on behalf of the public and is governed by a five-member board of commissioners that is appointed by the state (2), county (2) and city (1) in which Target Field resides.

Has 54 suites.

The playing field is covered with 2½ acres of natural grass, specifically a 4-way blend of Kentucky bluegrass that was grown at a sod farm in Fort Morgan, CO.

Has 22,042 square feet of foul territory. Only five Major League ballparks have less.

100,000 square feet of Minnesota limestone, which was trucked in from a quarry near Mankato, was used to build the ballpark, which is 1,000,000 square feet in total size.

The Twins pay for all of the ballpark's operating costs, which is estimated to be $20 million annually.

During the ballpark's inaugural season, 14 small black spruce trees fronted the solid dark green wall in straightaway center that serves as the hitter's backdrop. Because batters believed the trees were a distraction they were removed in February 2011, although two were replanted on ballpark property. As for the fate of the other dozen trees, ten were donated to state parks, one was made available to the general public via an online auction, and one was awarded in a contest for season-ticket holders.

Target Field Firsts

First game (college): Louisiana Tech beat the University of Minnesota, 9-1, on March 27, 2010 in front of 36,056 fans who paid $2 to see the game and ballpark as part of an 8-hour public open house. The crowd was the second largest ever to watch a college baseball game.

First pro game (exhibition): The St. Louis Cardinals beat the Minnesota Twins, 8-4, on April 2, 2010 in front of a paid crowd of 32,995 and another 6,500 people who received complimentary tickets

First game (regular season): The Minnesota Twins beat the Boston Red Sox, 5-2, on April 12, 2010 in front of 39,715 fans

Official ballpark firsts (all of which occurred on 4/12/10):

Pitch Batter Hit (single) Home Run Winning Pitcher Losing Pitcher Save

Carl Pavano Marco Scutaro Marco Scutaro Jason Kubel Carl Pavano Jon Lester Jon Rauch