It is amazing that the Saints and St. Paul would build a stadium that would look more at home in Woodbury than in Lowertown (Twin Cities+Region, Feb. 21). I've visited more than 20 minor league facilities, and this one matches the suburban stadiums of Schaumburg, Geneva and Peoria, Ill.
My support for this effort was based on the promise of a great "ballpark" nestled into a great St. Paul neighborhood.
Saints co-owner Mike Veeck and his gang continue to try to sell the proposed 1960s retro design as "Prairie style," and low-slung to fit the community, but it was all about the money. The constraints of the site and costs are what drove it. Like any stadium, the more you put underground, the less superstructure you need, and that lowers the cost. I'm sorry, but the Target Field knockoff wood ceilings have nothing to do with Lowertown, and the only vista fans are going to get is of the Lafayette Bridge and traffic.
Our friends across the river will always play in the minors if they continue to forget their strengths, in this case building a quaint ballpark that feels at home in the city, not the suburbs. St. Paul may be on the verge of a revival. Don't get this piece wrong.
