Exactly what is going on with the Target Center renovation?

[Devilzsidewalk]

I've got my fingers crossed for an open air stadium and a marble court

[mandurugo]

I've got my fingers crossed for an open air stadium and a marble court

If you want to do it right, and I really believe you're the type of fan who does - then there can be only one choice: lapis lazuli.

[Wolves_Nation]

It was more than Tayor not selling -- he actually was a buyer this summer.

Taylor has kept in contact with Flip all these years, even before he became GM. According to Flip on KFAN's Dan Barriero show, Flip talked about how he thought that the NBA was poised for major growth, and reminded Taylor that he has two young star that would ride the wave of popularity. Taylor not only took the team off the market, but personally bought out half of his minor investors to have a bigger share. I think Flip said that he also bought a slice of ownership of the Wolves now too.

I think that Taylor selling the Wolves was a possibility last year, though I agree it would only have been to a local owner. He just has too many connections to this town, and he's not about to move to a new city. However, I think that possibility disappeared when Flip arrived, and Taylor is now re-energized about owning the Wolves.

I hope this information allays some of your concerns.

I'm pretty sure Taylor gave it to him as a part of the contract.

[LordBaldric]

I'll worry about it when Taylor dies or sells the team. The one good thing I can say about Taylor is that he's loyal to the state.

[Klomp]

On the subject of the remodeling of Target Center and how the $100 million in expenses will be paid for, Taylor reported some progress after a long delay and how much each of the three partners will contribute.

“We have an agreement with the city, and now they are working with the management team AEG to get an agreement there,” Taylor said. “We’re just sort of waiting on the city to work it out with them. Then it’s my understanding that once they get that done, they’re going to bring it to the City Council.

“We have obligated ourselves to pay for $44 million to fix Target Center. The city will put in $50 million. We have to get $6 million from AEG.”

Taylor added that once AEG agrees to come up with the $6 million and the City Council votes in favor as expected, Taylor will proceed with the plans to remodel a good portion of the Block E complex into a modern practice facility for the Wolves.

“That is all dependent on us getting the Target Center fixed up,” Taylor said. “We’ve notified the city of that, too, because it’s important to get it through the City Council so we can go to the next step of the practice facility.

“The [practice facility is not] part of the bonding thing, but it’s part of our reinvestment into the community.

“We haven’t announced anything, but let me just say we have been working on it and we’re prepared to move ahead with it if we can get this Target Center deal done.”

How much will the practice facility cost the Wolves owner? “The answer to that is a lot,” Taylor said.

http://www.startribune.com/sports/vikin ... tml?page=2

[WC NBA Fan]

I have no doubt that AEG will come up with the $6 million and even if they don't, that's an easy number to split between the Wolves and the city/state.

My question is what type of timeline are we looking at? Would this be done all in one season with the Lynx maybe playing in St. Paul next summer? Would they be able to do exterior work even during the NBA season? Will it take 2 offseasons and not be 100% completed until the beginning of the 2015/16 season?

[Minnesota Power]

Im curious as to what it is going to look like. I have seen those pics on the Target Center Renovation site but I don't know if those are official or what. Hopefully its as good as a brand new arena. And I love the news about a new practice facility!

And also we can hopefully get an all star game here as well!

It says on the Target Center website "Revitalizing Target Center to entertain until 2032"
In 2032 the Xcel energy center will be slightly more than 30 years old, and maybe than the Twolves and WIld can get a new arena together somewhere with an iron clad 30 year lease so I will have to worry even less about the Twolves relocating in my lifetime! (I can dream, can't I!?) Plus if they share a new arena thatll make it more likely to pass through all the legislation and what not or whatever "Processes" new publicly subsidized arenas have to go through, because I would hate to see way WAY in the future far, far from now to see this team relocate due to the fact they were unable to get a new arena long after Target Center is no longer viable which hopefully won't be until like the year 2100 or something.

It still makes me feel sick to my stomach that this team almost relocated to New Orleans in 1994 and that Chris Hansen and the Seattle group wanted to steal it and relocate it to seattle earlier this year to replace their stolen team that should of never moved to OKC. Would not want to have to experience losing our NBA team like Seattle did.

Yeah I am dramatic, so what?

[Klomp]

[tweet]https://twitter.com/PhilErvin/status/380418437450723328[/tweet]

[WC NBA Fan]

[tweet]https://twitter.com/PhilErvin/status/380418437450723328[/tweet]

Thanks Klomp. That answers my question.

I know it says that they can have events while the renovation is taking place but I assume they will do the majority of the interior work during the offseason and have the Lynx play at Xcel. Then when the Wolves start up again, they'll concentrate on the exterior.

[jfg]

I think the best thing about Target Center is how it feels like it's just part of downtown. You just enter the doors like you're walking into Macy's. You don't see that with many stadiums, honestly I don't know if you see it with any stadium. Target Field, the Metrodome, Xcel. They all feel like they are separate from the cities that surround them and there's some charm to that too, but I think Target Center is so unique in the way that it blends in with downtown. I hope they don't do anything to the exterior that changes that.

[jade_hippo]

A glass court over an enclosure filled with feeding timberwolves would be ideal, IMO.

[shrink]

A glass court over an enclosure filled with feeding timberwolves would be ideal, IMO.

This idea would have vastly improved the TV show "Under the Dome."