Mortenson Construction Empties “The Bank”

Minneapolis, MN — Mortenson Construction, a long-time partner to the University of Minnesota and the Minnesota Vikings, has work crews on-site today at TCF Bank Stadium on the University of Minnesota campus to help volunteers clear tons of snow in time for Monday’s National Football League matchup between the Minnesota Vikings and the Chicago Bears. The scheduled game was relocated from Mall of America Field to TCF Bank Stadium after a roof collapse due to a record snowfall over the weekend. 

Mortenson was the builder of TCF Bank Stadium, which opened in 2009. The stadium has a capacity of 50,000 and is home to University of Minnesota Golden Gopher football. Mortenson also is helping ready the stadium’s facilities, which had been winterized, for use.

A team of Mortenson workers, many of whom helped build TCF Bank Stadium, erected a system of sheet metal slides and PVC chutes around the stadium to help volunteers evacuate snow from the top and bottom of the seating bowl to the field level so it could be loaded into waiting dump trucks for off-site hauling. While simple in function, the solution had to be carefully planned and organized.

“You need to be careful anytime you’re moving something, whether steel or snow, that weighs this much and has this much volume,” said Dave Mansell, senior superintendent at Mortenson. “The goal was to design and build a system to move the snow quickly and safely, and make it easier for all the volunteer shovelers.” Mortenson has assigned a safety team to the site and is working with University officials who are overseeing the project.

In addition to helping two of its key customers, Mortenson has added interest in Monday’s NFL rival matchup: the company has offices in both Minneapolis and Chicago. Team members in both locations, while united in their effort to make sure the stadium is ready, always look forward to seeing their teams compete.

“We have offices in several locations across the U.S. and we are loyal to our teams,” said Ken Sorensen, general manager of Mortenson’s Minneapolis office. “No where is that more evident than in Minnesota, Wisconsin and Illinois. Things get serious.”

Mortenson is one of the leading sports and entertainment facility builders in the U.S. This year Mortenson completed Target Field, new home of the Minnesota Twins; KFC Yum! Center in Louisville, Ky., home to the University of Louisville basketball team; and the new Duluth Entertainment Convention Center, home to the University of Minnesota-Duluth hockey team. The company also is building a spring training facility for the Arizona Diamondbacks and Colorado Rockies in Phoenix.