Daktronics gets contract for Target Field's new scoreboard

The Minnesota Twins' new scoreboard for the 2023 season at Target Field will be built in Redwood Falls by Daktronics as part of the most expensive update to the ballpark since it opened for the 2010 baseball season.

The scoreboard is part of the second phase of a two-part, $29.5 million project, the cost of which is split evenly between the Minnesota Twins and the Minnesota Ballpark Authority (MBA), the government agency that oversees the publicly owned building.

Details aren't yet final, but Twins expect the main video display to increase to nearly 57 feet high and 178 feet wide, capturing what is now adjacent static advertising. The current board is the same height but only 101 feet wide. The team says the new board will be in place for the 2023 season, is 76 percent larger and will feature "lifelike quality of HDR imaging."

"This is a major investment, and it's gratifying to know we will have Dak's team working directly with us to refine the final scope of improvements, to get the best value and to deliver the most impactful upgrades to the fan experience at Target Field," MBA Executive Director Dan Kenney said.

Daktronics, based in Brookings, S.D., won the project over Mitsubishi and ANC. Daktronics also built the original scoreboard at Target Field.

The first phase of the project — replacement of the control rooms — already has begun.

The Twins and Hennepin County, which covered nearly two-thirds of the stadium's construction cost, make annual contributions to the MBA's reserve account for the ballpark's maintenance. The fund, intended for projects that benefit both the public and the team, receives roughly $2.5 million annually — about $1 million from the team and the remainder from the county. Past improvements include LED field lighting and reconfiguration of a concourse.

Upon completion of the project, the MBA will have spent just over $21 million from its reserve account since the building opened, according to Kenney. There will be about $9 million left after the scoreboard expense.

The Twins' total spending on capital projects since the building opened in 2010 will be just over $56 million.

Also, during this off-season in a separate project, the Twins will replace the turf for the first time since the building opened. The team has estimated the cost at $250,000. Matt Hoy, Twins senior vice president of operations, said the turf is due for replacement anyway, but placing an ice rink on the infield for the 2022 NHL Winter Classic on New Year's Day will destroy it.