Dive Brief:
- Minnesota Timberwolves officials, along with other Target Center renovation stakeholders, held an onsite ceremony to mark the beginning of an 18-month, $129 million overhaul of the Minneapolis facility, CBS Minnesota reported.
- Contractors Mortenson and Thor Construction are working under a $102.8 million guaranteed maximum price contract,
- The Minneapolis City Council approved the project in March, but construction kicked off about one month after the original start date of May 6.
Dive Insight:
As part of the renovation, the contractors will build new suites; provide new sound and lighting systems; renovate seating, bathroom and food areas; and install a massive center-hung arena scoreboard as part of the center's rehab. The facility is home to the NBA's Minnesota Timberwolves and the WNBA's Minnesota Lynx.
Mortenson, known for its sports stadium expertise, recently earned the certificate of occupancy for the new $1.1 billion Vikings U.S. Bank stadium six weeks early despite a string of hurdles. Early on in the project, two roofers fell from the unfinished stadium roof, and one was killed.
In addition, the company and stadium ownership had to deal with protests from bird advocates who argued that the 200,000 square feet of glass used on the exterior of the stadium would draw migrating birds to their deaths. Yet another hurdle that Mortenson and the MSFA cleared to finish the project was a $15 million dispute over change orders, which was resolved in February.
The company also has the $1 billion Golden State Warriors arena, the $300 million Minnesota United soccer stadium and the $524 million Milwaukee Bucks arena in its project pipeline.
