The thwacks of golf clubs might be heard eight stories above downtown Minneapolis if a proposal floated at City Hall on Tuesday moves forward.
The privately funded plan involves building a new story atop two publicly owned downtown parking ramps near Target Field and covering it with multicolored fabric, giving it a circuslike look, based on initial renderings.
Developers envision a driving range, putting green, running track, athletic fields, event space and a youth center — all available year-round.
"A big part of this is trying to make the entire facility an oasis of summer ... in the middle of the winter," said Tim Thompson, one of the people behind Rooftop Golf LLC, which is seeking the rights to develop the property.
The idea is about 15 years old, but may finally have some traction because the owner of the larger ramp, the Minnesota Department of Transportation, has expressed openness to leasing air rights above the facility.
On Tuesday, two City Council committees authorized staff to develop agreements that would pave the way for the project.
If everything goes smoothly, the 18-month construction process could begin in 2015, said project consultant El Tinklenberg, a former state transportation commissioner.
"We want this to be a place that's fun for adults and really good for the community's children," he said Tuesday.
