The Minnesota Timberwolves are “looking seriously” at the Block E complex near Target Center in downtown Minneapolis for a potential practice facility to give players 24-hour access to courts and equipment, the Business Journal reports.
“It’s something that’s been on our radar for a long time and, as we’ve gotten more serious about our buildings, it’s risen up on that list,” Wolves Chief Marketing Officer Ted Johnson told the Journal. “We’ve had lots of exploratory conversations with people about the model and possible locations and partners, but there isn’t anything locked down yet.”
Currently, the Wolves practice at the 12,000-square-foot Life Time Fitness health club inside of Target Center.
The Wolves and Minneapolis officials are still working to finalize a $100 million plan to renovate the aging city-owned arena, Finance & Commerce reported in April.
The majority of tenants, including AMC Theaters, in the retail and entertainment complex have closed since Alatus, a Minneapolis real estate company, purchased Block E for $14 million in 2010.
“We have a lot of people interested,” Alatus principal Phillip Jaffe told the Star Tribune. “No one has signed any leases.”
The Business Journal notes the firm has been quietly marketing the four-story building to office users after it failed to gain legislative support to transform the complex into a casino.
