DMNA Board Chair Nick Cichowicz was featured in a recent KSTP Channel 5 news story on the indoor sports complex (AKA Downtown Rooftop Golf) proposed for the top level of the TAD Ramp and Hawthorne Transportation Center.
http://kstp.com/article/stories/s3239483.shtml
The space will include a combination of for-profit athletic facilities for golf and soccer, and a nonprofit program that will be designed and operated in coordination with the University of Minnesota to support Minneapolis youth through mentoring, coaching, learning, playing and social development. The center will include a:
- Green roof with performance area,
- Club house with training facilities, locker rooms, retail and food service,
- Driving range, playing fields and a walking/running track, and
- Youth center/education facility
The center is expected to have a total development cost of about $70 – $80,000,000. The project is expected to be financed with a combination of private equity and debt financing along with a variety of grants and other sources for the nonprofit youth center aspect of the project. No City funding will be sought.
The proposed location in the airspace above the two ramps will take advantage of the significant amount of space available there and the connections from the ramps to the downtown skyway system, a variety of transportation modes and local facilities (e.g., Target Center, Target Field and Interchange).