NSC Stadium Beer Garden Demolished for New Building Construction to the Surprise of Stars Players and Staff
Demolition of the NSC beer garden took place on Monday and surprised both players and staff of the Minnesota Stars. Photo by Damian Petrou - Brave New Media
The NSC Minnesota Stars returned home early Sunday morning after a Saturday evening victory that secured an NASL playoff spot for the team. Stars head coach Manny Lagos gave the team the day off. The Stars were excited to get back to training early Monday morning in preparation for next weekend’s playoff game. But Coach Lagos and the team were all in for a bit of a surprise when they took the field. At the north end of the stadium, the beer garden that had become a Stars landmark over the last 3 seasons was being torn down. The same beer garden which has served as a focal point for supporters during games and has been the focus of the Stars marketing plan this past season.
According to Djorn Buchholz, CEO of the Stars, he was told by the NSC of the decision to demolish the beer garden but wasn’t informed until last Wednesday. Buchholz didn’t tell Lagos immediately, feeling the head coach didn’t need the distraction heading into the final weekend of the regular season with a playoff spot on the line. But the Stars CEO had no idea that demolition would start on Monday. He too was surprised the structure was already being torn down. Especially with the possibility that the Stars could get a home playoff game should they defeat FC Tampa Bay in St. Petersburg on Saturday evening.
“We want to be clear with our fans that we had no say in the timing of this project or the decision to remove the beer garden altogether,” said Buchholz in a press statement released this afternoon. “We’re disappointed and surprised that the beer garden had to come down now as opposed to at the end of the season, and we’re working with the National Sports Center on a temporary way to emulate that atmosphere should the Stars qualify for the league semifinals and host a playoff game.”
The National Sports Center’s Chief Administrative Officer, Kris Bjerkness, was away on business this week as was Media Director Barclay Kruse and Minnesota Amateur Sports Commission’s Paul Erickson. Bjerkness gave IMS a brief statement Tuesday morning.
“We are removing the beer garden due to building expansion at the Schwan Center. It’s our goal to provide a quality replacement beer garden area following the process of the new construction. Construction begins on October 10th and necessitates removal prior to then. While disappointing for this season’s potential playoff series, we will build over the winter and hope to have a replacement in time for next season. Plans are for an expanded elevated area overlooking the field.”
The Stars press release also stated: With the possibility of an October 8 home playoff game looming, the Stars acknowledged the unfortunate timing of the new project, which eliminates one of the most energetic sections of the stadium at a critical time, but the club is optimistic that a replacement solution will be reached before the start of the 2012 North American Soccer League season. Citing a pending zoning meeting, the National Sports Center was unable to elaborate on its plans.
IMS has found records with the Blaine City Council that the NSC is on the agenda for the October 6th board meeting at which time they will request authorizing of issuance of a $3-million revenue note on behalf of the National Sports Center Foundation also called a “conduit debt.”
Conduit debt is a bond that a city, county or other government agency would grant to a private organization to finance a project. The city gives the tax exempt bonds in understating that they are receiving something back from the borrower in the way of services to its residents and also brings in additional revenue through taxes. According to Joe Huss, finance director for the city, the actual loan for the NSC will come from a private lender and not the city.
According to the document available online through the City of Blaine, the facility being built is a 20,000 square-foot indoor sports and exhibit hall facility to be located adjacent to the existing Schwan Center. The Project will be owned by the Minnesota Amateur Sports Commission (MASC) and operated by the NSC.
Many a joyful goal celebration took place in front of the terraced beer garden that sat adjacent to the north goal. Photo by Jeremy Olson - www.digitialgopher.net
The MASC was created in 1987 by the Minnesota State Legislature to promote the economic and social benefits of sports. It is a State-run organization, while the NSC itself is a quasi-state organization and is independent of the State of Minnesota but overseen by the MASC.
While the NSC were not specific, IMS has learned there are tentative plans to shift the beer garden that now sets at the northwest end of the stadium to the west, possible removing the path that now leads from the main stadium to the north gate. The beer garden would be slightly more elevated and tucked into the northwest corner.
The original beer garden was built in the spring of 2009 by former Thunder owner Dean Johnson. It was designed by architect Julie Snow and built by former Happy Gnome owner and construction contractor Nick Miller. Miller also ran the beer garden the first season offering many craft beer selections. The cost of construction was believed to be approximately $120-thousand. As the Minnesota Stars’ press statement pointed out today, it was designated and intended as a temporary structure, and it would eventually have to be taken down or invested in heavily sometime in the not so distant future.
Buchholz concluded by saying, “We are working closely with the National Sports Center to make sure that what’s built in place of the original beer garden is as good or better and is a permanent structure that can add to the atmosphere at NSC Stadium in the years to come.”
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What good is the play-offs now without a good beer garden. Teams now will relish the opportunity to defend the north goal. OUTRAGE!
The fans made that corner torture for visiting teams, not the deck.
1) Best photo ever.
2) I hope the NSC makes it better than ever. If we have to sacrifice a beer garden for the playoff run for a better facility that would be awesome.
3) I am disappointed the Stars weren’t more involved in this from the beginning. Perhaps this shows that there is truly a split between the organizations at this time. It was great what the NSC did for soccer to keep it alive, so I am willing to give them a pass at this one.
4) Beer garden to the East Stands!
right hand meet left hand, left hand meet right hand. now that we are formally introduced let’s pull our collective head from our a** and get things in order.
that thing cost $120000? why the hell was julie snow even involved with that project? the beer garden looked like it was designed on a cocktail napkin. more aha revelations as to the bankruptcy of the thunder.
Cause Johnson evidently knew and used her for projects. The design was good, the execution, …meh
Great story, and a follow up quesiton not really related to the article. But is there any word or rumor about possible local investment in the team.
Same question was asked the other day on another thread. Nothing that I’m aware of. It doesn’t mean that the NASL doesn’t have something in the works but I would very much doubt it. You know anyone who wants to invest in a soccer team knowing they will lose between 500 K to 1.5 mil per year for an unspecified amount of years until not only MLS teams start making money but then D2 teams start making money after that. I think it’s going to be a tough sell. Not impossible but tough.
Pardon my outside observation, but this seems like a good thing, not a bad thing. They’re making upgrades to the facility. Any lower level soccer fan in America pretty much would love to see their facility getting upgrades. Timing? Well, could have been slightly better. But then again, the only way the Stars even get another home game this year is if they go on the road this week and beat what I begrudingly admit is probably the most in form team going into the playoffs right now in Tampa. Worst case sceanrio is what, you win in Tampa and are forced to buy beer from a concession stand or a vendor? If you guys were drawing 4,000+ regularly you might have more of a beef with NSC. You can’t really blame them for thinking it’s only a possible inconvenience to a small group. I think something for Stars fans to be more concerned with is how to help boost local interest for the team.
I once went downstairs for a Coke and missed two goals. Since then, I only drank beer at Stars games.
DO NOT start selling beer in the concession area. We need a beer garden that allows us to see the field at all times.
I once went downstairs for a Coke and missed two goals. Since then, I only drank beer at Stars games.
DO NOT start selling beer in the concession area. We need a beer garden that allows us to see the field at all times. And video in the concession area.
Strikers: Well, it’s not really an upgrade to the stadium; it’s an upgrade to surrounding facilities.
The beer garden will be missed. Hopefully it will be replaced.
SR, do you understand how big the NSC is? How many buildings are on the property? As Kevin said, it’s not an upgrade to the NSC Stadium but from what is rumored it could improve the stadium with some tie in from the building to the stadium.
http://www.nscsports.org/facilities/index.stm
Of course add to all these facilities the 58 soccer fields, golf courses, baseball fields etc… that surround the buildings which includes the Schawns Super Rink that is a building with 8 sheets of ice. Not saying I’m against them building this. Just trying to get you to understand that this is a building that will back up against the stadium.
I am hoping that the expansion of the Schwans Center will sort of enclose the north end of the stadium, giving it a little more intimate feel.
I sort of think that’s what is going to happen. Don’t know that for sure but am hearing the area by the walkway, and hospitality area could change dramatically actually making a better presentation both walking into the stadium and while in the stadium. My guess is the beer garden may not be quite as intimate as before but you will probably have a better view of the pitch. You will certainly be further away from the goal. It could be better than the old beer garden. I guess we will have to wait and see.
There is an awful lot of Minnesota nice going on in these comments. Are people really not angry that there’s a construction site inside our stadium during a playoff push?
Think of how this will look to any fan that doesn’t read this blog.
The Stars are guests, although paying ones, at NSC. They pay for the field and the stadium seats, and I am pretty sure that those are not affected.
Are the lease payments current?