The Minnesota baseball program received its first major donation in its plans for a new baseball stadium, the team announced at a press conference Tuesday.
The Pohlad Family Foundation will donate $2 million towards the new ballpark, bringing the total raised to $3.5 million to date. The program will need $7.5 million to begin construction, which Director of Athletics Joel Maturi said they hope to do next spring.
Should they break ground next spring, Maturi said they hope to begin playing at the new Siebert Field in 2012.
The $7.5 million will be enough to cover phase one of the project, which will include the bare essentials like tearing down Siebert Field, building a grandstand for 3,000 fans and the field.
The rest of the privately-raised funds will go to building amenities such as indoor batting cages and locker rooms, which will cost about another $7.5 million.
Further Daily reading on the baseball stadium issue: Baseball program sets sights on new stadium (4/6/10)
Bruiniks discusses stadium (4/14/10)
Letter to the editor: ‘Desperate’ for new baseball stadium? (4/7/10)