The Target Center renovation Design Group has recommended Mortenson Construction to be the construction manager for the project. Also today, the Minneapolis City Council voted to select Architectural Alliance and Sink Combs Dethlefs lead the design process.
“Mortenson’s unparalleled familiarity with Target Center makes them an ideal fit to lead the construction of the renovation. Their knowledge from originally constructing the building provides a depth of understanding that cannot be matched,” said Minnesota Timberwolves and Lynx CEO Rob Moor.
Headquartered here in Minneapolis, Mortenson Construction is the firm that originally built Target Center nearly 25 years ago. Mortenson is also one of the leading arena and sports stadium construction companies in the country. In addition to building Target Center, Mortenson lead the efforts for Target Field and they are currently constructing the new Vikings stadium.
“Mortenson has great expertise in managing important projects like this,” said Minneapolis City Council President Barbara Johnson. “This renovation will be a complicated project with many challenges and I have confidence Mortenson will give us a great finished product.”
“Mortenson built this building, they know it best inside and out,” said Council Member Lisa Goodman, who served on the selection committee and whose ward includes Target Center. “Choosing them as our contractor makes the most sense because with a tight timeline and budget we know the contractor starts with a step up knowing the details of this building.”
Architectural Alliance is a well-respected firm in the Twin Cities. They have worked on many projects in the region, including the Minneapolis Central Library. Sink Combs Dethlefs is known throughout the country for their expertise in designing entertainment venues. Recently, the firm completed the renovation work at Chesapeake Energy Arena in Oklahoma City, which will offer many insights that are relevant to the Target Center project.
A large portion of the investment in renovations will go toward enhancing the visitor experience for all events, including basketball games, concerts and family shows. This includes improving the flow of entering and exiting the building as well as moving around inside Target Center. Additionally, visitors at all price levels will benefit from new amenities, including a new scoreboard, new seats and additional gathering spaces throughout the arena.
“This is a complex project and Mortenson’s intimate knowledge of the building allowed them to present a number of options for mitigating the disruption to the community and to the events hosted in the venue,” said Moor.
Target Center is a City-owned community asset that has been heavily used for 23 years. It is the 22nd busiest building in the nation and 51st busiest in the world. It hosts about 200 events annually, and about a million visitors pass through its doors every year. Due to the building’s age and the construction of more modern facilities, Target Center is currently not competitive in attracting events. The renovation seeks to restore that competitiveness at a fraction of the cost of building a new facility.
Like all construction projects funded with City dollars, the Target Center renovation is subject to disadvantaged business hiring goals. Mortenson has agreed to meet City’s goals of involving 11 percent women-owned businesses and 9 percent minority-owned businesses in the project, and having a workforce that’s 6 percent women and 32 percent minority. Mortenson and its partner Thor Construction have a history of meeting or surpassing these levels.