Target Center - History

History

The Timberwolves originally built and owned the arena in 1990. The City of Minneapolis purchased the arena in 1995 and turned over management to Ogden Entertainment. In 2000, SFX (later Clear Channel Entertainment) took overt the contract. 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.

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.

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. 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.

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.

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.

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. In February 2011, the Timberwolves and the city of Minneapolis introduced a $155 million proposal to remodel the Target Center. Plans included 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. 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. In 2012, a "Target Dog" neon sign was installed to face towards Target Field as a home run celebration sign.