Target Field opened in 2010 as the home of the Twins and was almost universally hailed as one of the best ballparks in Major League Baseball. Minnesotans who had spent 28 years watching indoor baseball at the multi-purpose Metrodome rejoiced at the modern, outdoor space.
Those who visited Target Field enough times, though, grew to have a handful of complaints. They were relatively minor, but the most significant among them went something like this: the concourse in right field gets pretty crowded, with slowdowns and even complete stops in traffic flow pretty common.
Eight years later, the Twins think they have a solution. In conjunction with the Minnesota Ballpark Authority, the Twins on Friday showed off plans to widen the concourse by adding more than 1,300 square feet of open space to the most-affected area inside Gates 29 and 34. (Rendering above via Populous).
Twins President Dave St. Peter said the club found that 60 percent of fans enter through those two gates, creating the congestion that many have noted over the years. To create the extra space, 117 seats were removed from Target Field. Standing room drink rail spots and a new tap wall called DRAFT 34 will be added to the space.
"This corrects that pinch point where that traffic met," St. Peter said.
The Twins also announced that the Metropolitan Club is being rebranded as Bat & Barrel. The space, which can hold about 300 people, will now be available to any ticket fan instead of just season-ticket holders.
"We really think it's going to be an incredible gathering space," said Dan Starkey, the Twins' senior director for ballpark development.
The improvements are slated to be finished by March 15, about three weeks before the Twins' April 5 home opener.
