Target Center
Location	600 First Avenue North Minneapolis, Minnesota 55403-1416
Coordinates	44°58′46″N 93°16′34″W / 44.97944°N 93.27611°W / 44.97944; -93.27611Coordinates: 44°58′46″N 93°16′34″W / 44.97944°N 93.27611°W / 44.97944; -93.27611
Broke ground	July 12, 1988
Opened	October 13, 1990
Renovated	2004
Owner	City of Minneapolis
Operator	Anschutz Entertainment Group
Surface	Multi-surface
Construction cost	$104 million ($185 million in 2012 dollars[1])
Architect	KMR Architects, Ltd.
Structural engineer	Ericksen Roed and Associates, Inc.
Services engineer	Gausman & Moore[2]
General Contractor	M.A. Mortenson Company
Capacity	19,356
Website	http://www.targetcenter.com/
Tenants
Minnesota Timberwolves (NBA) (1990–present) Minnesota Lynx (WNBA) (1999-present)

The Target Center is an arena in downtown Minneapolis, Minnesota. It is sponsored by Target Corporation. The arena has a capacity of 20,500 people. It contains 702 club seats and 68 suites.^[3]

The center is home to the NBA's Minnesota Timberwolves^[4] and the WNBA's Minnesota Lynx^[5]. The facility has also hosted RHI, Arena Football League, and LFL teams in the past.

History[link]

The interior before a Timberwolves game

The Timberwolves originally built and owned the arena in 1990. The City of Minneapolis purchased the arena in 1995, although management has changed hands a few times. The management was changed in May 2004 from Clear Channel Entertainment to Midwest Entertainment Group, a joint venture of the Timberwolves and Nederlander Concerts.

On May 2, 2007 AEG Facilities assumed the Management contract of Target Center. The city of Minneapolis owns the arena and AEG Facilities manages day to day operations.^[6]

In 2004, Target Center underwent a major renovation that saw the replacement of all 19,006 of its original seats plus the addition of nearly 1,500 new seats as well as the reconfiguration of the lower bowl to make the arena more fan-friendly. In addition the arena's original scoreboard was replaced with a new state-of-the-art 9-by-16 foot video screen and state-of-the-art LED signage, LED signage on the upper deck fascia, a new luxury lounge (Club Cambria) and improved access for fans with disabilities.^[7]

The arena has been host to several professional wrestling events including several episodes of WCW Monday Nitro and numerous WWE shows. One memorable episode of Nitro took place on October 19, 1998, where local sport legends John Randle and Kirby Puckett alongside Minnesota native Ric Flair chased WCW president Eric Bischoff out of the building.^[8] On May 22, 2005, WWE hosted the seventh annual Judgement Day pay-per-view event. As well as many other WWE events like the Eddie Guerrero tribute show. On October 24, 2010 the Target Center hosted the second annual and final Bragging Rights event. The arena also hosted SummerSlam 1999, as well as the July 19, 2011 episode of Friday Night SmackDown that aired on July 22, 2011.

In 1999, Target Center hosted the "People's Celebration" inaugural event for Gov. Jesse Ventura. The event drew 14,000 people, and included performances by Jonny Lang, Warren Zevon, and America.^[9]

The Professional Bull Riders held a Built Ford Tough Series event at Target Center during the 2003 and 2006 seasons.

Target Center was once one of three NBA arenas with parquet floors, including TD Garden in Boston, and Amway Arena (later Amway Center) in Orlando--the floor was replaced prior to the 2008 NBA season. It hosted the 1994 NBA All-Star Game, the 1995 NCAA Women's Final Four and the 2000 NBA Draft.

The Target Center held the memorable UFC championship UFC 87: Seek and Destroy in August 2008, which featured the Welterweight title match where Georges St-Pierre defeated Jon Fitch.

The Target Center recently hosted one of its most successful events of the year with the Winter Wonder Slam Tour which featured Skillet, tobyMac, and Shonlock. Despite the economic downfall in the Rock industry, especially for concerts, Skillet sold out the building; in the midst of a snowstorm.^[10]

The Target Center hosted the Rally for the Republic convention organized by the Campaign for Liberty, a movement founded by Texas Congressman Ron Paul, who ran an unsuccessful bid for the 2008 Republican presidential nomination. Among the attendees of the convention included former Governor of Minnesota Jesse Ventura, Barry Goldwater, Jr., and former Governor of New Mexico Gary Johnson.^[11]

In 2011, Target Center played host to its first championship event, the 2011 WNBA Finals. The Minnesota Lynx won their first two games on their home floor, and ultimately won the WNBA Championship, the first title won by a team that played in Target Center.

Target Center is the first arena to have a green roof. It was unveiled on September 15, 2009.^[12] In February 2011, the Timberwolves and the city of Minneapolis introduced a $155 million proposal to remodel the Target Center. Plans include shifting the main entrance to the corner of 6th Street and First Avenue, two large glass atriums, another restaurant, and a complete remodel of the interior.^[13] The plan was approved in 2012 by the Minnesota Legislature, as part of the bill that authorized a new stadium for the Minnesota Vikings.

Target extended its naming rights agreement through 2014 in September of 2011.^[14]

Notable Concert Tours[link]

Page & Plant 1995. Neil Young & Crazy Horse 1996. Pearl Jam 1998. Roger Waters 1999. Phil Lesh & Friends 2000. U2 2001 and 2005. Rage Against the Machine 2008. Britney Spears performed a sold-out concert on April 3, 2009, as apart of her 2009 tour, The Circus Starring Britney Spears Canadian rock band Nickelback will perform here on May 23, 2012 as a part of a leg of their "Here and Now Tour". Target Center has faced competition for concert tours since 2000, when the Xcel Energy Center opened in nearby Saint Paul, MN.^[15]

The Target Center hosting a Rage Against the Machine concert.

U.S. Bank Theater[link]

Target Center can convert into a 2,500-to-7,500-seat theater known as the U.S. Bank Theater. The Theater contains a moveable floor-to-ceiling curtain system that allows the venue to be transformed based on specific show needs. In addition to concerts, the U.S. Bank Theater can also be used for family and Broadway shows.^[16]

Transportation and location[link]

Target Center is a block away from the Warehouse District/Hennepin Avenue station of the Hiawatha Line. The arena is also across the street from the well-known Minneapolis nightclub First Avenue and an entertainment complex known as Block E. In addition, Target Field, the new Minnesota Twins stadium is located just across the street from Target Center, and shares the public parking that Target Center uses.^[17]

References[link]

External links[link]

• Official website
• Target Center Renovation, Official by the Target Center.

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Target Center

Hunter Easton Hayes (born September 9, 1991) is an American country music singer and songwriter. He is signed to Atlantic Records Nashville, which released his debut single "Storm Warning" on May 16, 2011. His self titled album was released on October 11, 2011.^[2]

Biography[link]

Hayes was born on September 9, 1991 in Breaux Bridge, Louisiana to Lynette and Leo Hayes.^[3] He began his musical career at age two when his grandmother gave him a toy accordion. At age four, he began making appearances at local performances and on national television, including showings on Maury, Rosie O'Donnell, and Nickelodeon's series Figure It Out.^[4][5] At the age of 13, Hayes appeared on "America's Most Talented Kids," a show hosted by Dave Coulier. He performed the hit Hank Williams song, "Hey Good Lookin'."

In 2008, he moved from his hometown of Breaux Bridge, Louisiana to Nashville, Tennessee to be signed with Universal Music Publishing Group as a songwriter. He graduated in 2007, at the age of 16, and in 2010, co-wrote "Play" for the Rascal Flatts album Nothing Like This. In September 2010, Hayes was signed to Atlantic Records Nashville and released his debut single "Storm Warning" on May 16, 2011.^[6] It was the first single from his debut album, on which Hayes played every instrument and co-produced with Dann Huff.^[7] Matt Bjorke of Roughstock gave the single three stars out of five, praising the lyrics and comparing Hayes' voice favorably to Rascal Flatts' lead singer Gary LeVox, with whom Hayes toured from January to February 2012 on the Rascal Flatts "Thaw Out" tour.^[8][9] Hayes' debut, self-titled album, Hunter Hayes was released on October 11, 2011.^[10]

Hayes appeared as the opening act of ten dates of country star Taylor Swift's Speak Now World Tour throughout the summer of 2011 and concluded his leg of the tour in St. Louis, Missouri. He went on his own radio tour that lasted several weeks on which he debuted songs that would appear on his self titled album.^[11] Hayes concluded the first leg his debut headlining tour entitled the Most Wanted Tour. This leg of the tour began on October 8, 2011 in Beaumont, Texas and ended on December 4, 2011 in San Bernardino, California.^[12] Hayes and actress/singer Victoria Justice contributed a duet to the soundtrack of 2011's Footloose remake, recording a cover of Mike Reno and Ann Wilson's 1984 hit "Almost Paradise" from the original film. Hayes made a sneak appearance on the compilation album Now That's What I Call Music! 41 with his song "Somebody's Heartbreak," originally heard on his self-titled album.^[13] "Where We Left Off" is an original song, written by Hayes, that can be heard on the soundtrack for the 2012 war film Act of Valor.^[14] In late 2012, Hayes will be the opening act for Carrie Underwood's Blown Away Tour.

Discography[link]

Studio albums[link]

Singles[link]

• ^ACurrent single.

Music videos[link]

Other album appearances[link]

References[link]

External links[link]

• Home page
• Official Myspace
• Official Facebook
• Official YouTube