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St. Paul Saints unveil new ballpark renderings

New St. Paul Saints ballpark

Seeking to blunt criticism that a proposed ballpark design was too modern for the historic Lowertown area, the St. Paul Saints (independent; American Association) unveiled new renderings downplaying its impact on the area.

Indeed, the three renderings all had the same message: the low-slung ballpark would provide plenty of views of its surroundings, ranging from downtown St. Paul, as shown below (Lowertown is literally down a hill from the core of the downtown) to the nearly warehouses that surround the Farmers Market, as shown above.

New St. Paul Saints ballpark

From the St. Paul Pioneer Press:

Julie Snow, the project’s lead architect, said it effectively turns the warehouse building inside out, and the open-air playing field will sit in what is presently the building’s basement. Home plate and first base will be aligned with Broadway Street, and the height of an administrative building has been reduced to sit below the concourse, allowing Saints officials to keep their offices at the same level as the field itself….

The three new renderings shown Thursday won over Lowertown residents Tom Smith, a business consultant who sits on a ballpark advisory committee, and Greg Peterson, a retired veterinarian who lives above the Heartland Restaurant in the Market House Condominiums on 5th Street.

One issue that remains to be addressed is the ballpark’s exterior. Councilman Dave Thune is pushing for a brick exterior to match the turn-of-the-century brick warehouses next to the ballpark. The current plan does not call for brick.

New Saints ballpark

Renderings courtesy of St. Paul Saints.

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