The Twin Cities’ Target Center is all ready to go for the upcoming Minnesota Timberwolves season and will be a hotbed of the 2018 WNBA season as it welcomes back the now four-time champion Minnesota Lynx and hosts the All-Star Game in July.
Representatives from the Lynx/Timberwolves and the city of Minneapolis were on hand to stage a ribbon-cutting ceremony signifying the reopening and, as its social media has called it, the “reimagining” of Target Center.
Minneapolis mayor @MayorHodges kicking things off at the ribbon cutting! #TCReimagined pic.twitter.com/3yZBHqgx0S
— Minnesota Lynx (@minnesotalynx) October 12, 2017
For a quarter of the cost of a full rebuild, we took the good bones we already had invested smartly in renovations that will keep Target Center a great home for the Timberwolves and the WNBA Champion Minnesota Lynx, a first-class venue for world-class entertainment, and a downtown jewel for years to come.
–Minneapolis mayor Betsy Hodges
This is a very exciting day for the Timberwolves and Lynx as we finally get to see our home court of Target Center reopened and reimagined.
–Lynx & Timberwolves CEO Ethan Casson
It is an honor for AEG Facilities to manage Target Center on behalf of the city of Minneapolis and the Minnesota Timberwolves and Lynx.
–Steve Mattson, Target Center Vice President and General Manager
The renovation project cost a cool $145 million with the city and team(s) saying it was more important to give the current building a fresh new look instead of tearing it down and building brand new sports venues. The latter approach is what the MLB’s Twins did with Target Field and what the NFL’s Vikings did with US Bank Stadium.
The project included an updated scoreboard, digital signage, and a new sound system. New paneling was also added around the whole of the venue along with new premium seats for various areas inside Target Center.
Making it official! ✂️? #TCReimagined pic.twitter.com/wJ4pqGuGYH
— Minnesota Lynx (@minnesotalynx) October 12, 2017
Somewhat notably, but a small detail – the Lynx logo on the ribbon that was cut was not the incumbent Lynx logo but the new logo that be the team’s new insignia going forward starting next year as part of a multi-pronged rebranding effort for the Timberwolves, Lynx, and Iowa Wolves of the NBA’s G-League.
By: Akiem Bailum (@AkiemBailum on Twitter, Instagram)
