Target Field: Come next spring

On a cold and windy early April afternoon, it stopped snowing just in time for officials to give members of the news media a dry tour of Target Field -- the $412 million open-air Minnesota Twins ballpark slated to open almost exactly one year from today.

Jerry Bell, president of Twins Sports Inc., said he wasn't sure whether, given the elements, there could have been a ballgame played Wednesday. There were chilly moments during the 90-minute walkthrough, particularly as the wind whipped through the upper levels.

But nothing could chill the enthusiasm of Twins and construction officials as they conducted a giddy show-and-tell highlighting how much progress has been made on the downtown ballpark.

Kevin Smith, the Twins' executive director of public affairs, estimated that the park is 65 percent finished and on schedule for its 2010 opening. More than 700 laborers in multiple crafts worked through the tour and any inclement weather Wednesday. They had seen much worse this winter, for sure.

"On balance, we're right where we need to be," Smith said of the ballpark project's progress. He added later, "To see it come out of the ground and to be a part of it is overwhelming."

Dan Mehls, an executive from Mortenson Construction, led the tour. It started in the bowels of the park, where Mehls pointed out where the Twins' clubhouse and Ron Gardenhire's office will be as workers on scaffolding continued to shape ideas into reality.

Next up was the main-level concourse, which is billed as being twice as wide as those in the Metrodome. Every bit of possible space was used for that width, it was noted, as Smith pointed to a portion of the concourse that is only a few feet from the "B" parking ramp.

Some things are further along than others. The left- and right-field foul poles, installed a week ago, stand in contrast to the field. With muddy puddles in some places and equipment scattered in others, the playing field looks the least ready of anything in the ballpark. Three tower cranes dominate the space, including one that sits where home plate will be. Mehls joked that the crane "would be much tougher to move off the plate" than batters during a game.

More tangible evidence of progress is soon to come. The park's natural grass, which is being grown in Colorado, is expected to arrive and be installed in late summer.

Seat and scoreboard installation should also come this summer, with the finishing touches coming over the fall and winter.

As commuters and passers-by continue to track the transformations taking place in plain view, Bell and Smith will content themselves with small surprises and finer details. Smith pointed to some finished concrete steps that were being poured only a few days ago when he visited. Bell marvels at the speed at which seating structures are moving into place.

Bell said he visits the field about once a week to catch glimpses of the progress and to weigh in on any decisions that need to be made. The detail work, he said, has been more intensive than he imagined when the ballpark was conceived. Cold weather -- in the past, present and future -- will present challenges. But seeing the progress and envisioning opening day a year from now keeps Bell going strong.

"I could sit here and watch it all day long," he said. "It's a lot of fun."