The station adjoins Target Field. The station has two sets of light rail island platforms. The original, Platform 1, opened in 2009 with the extension, Platform 2, opened in 2014.
The original light rail platform runs perpendicular over the BNSF Wayzata Subdivision, parallel to the 5th Street North bridge. Platform 2 was built northwest of the Platform 1, approximately 100 feet (30m) apart.
History
First pair of side platforms for light rail under construction.
The first railroad tracks in Minneapolis on the west bank of the Mississippi were placed in this location by the St. Paul and Pacific Railroad which later became the Great Northern Railway. The Minneapolis and St. Louis Railway and Great Northern Railway laid parallel east/west tracks in this location platted as Dakota Avenue/4th Avenue between 3rd Street North and 5th Street North. The Minneapolis and St. Louis Track was the southern track, and the Great Northern track was the northern track. This grade separation was agreed upon in 1890 after much litigation.[5] The rail bed was lowered to form what is known as "The Cut" below the street grade today.[6]
The station is near the sites of other former Minneapolis railroad depots. The first rail depot in downtown Minneapolis, for the St. Paul and Pacific, was located east near the present-day Fourth Street along the same tracks.[5] The Minneapolis and St. Louis railway freight and passenger depots were located at the East side of Washington Avenue, also east of the present Target Field station.[7] The Electric Short Line Railway (Luce Line) depot was located at the northwest corner of 7th St. North and 3rd Avenue North. It was shared with the Minneapolis, St. Paul, Rochester and Dubuque Electric Traction Company (known as the Dan Patch Line and later the Minneapolis, Northfield and Southern Railway), as well as the Minneapolis, Anoka and Cuyuna Range Interurban railway.[5]
Metro Transit's first new Siemens S70, #201, arrives at a 2012 unveiling to the news media at the 2009 platforms at Target Field station. It bears Green Line signage, though this was months before the Green Line opened.
The station was opened in 2009 to serve the Northstar Line and the Hiawatha Line, now METRO Blue Line. The light rail line was extended from its existing terminus at Warehouse District / Hennepin Avenue to serve the new station. This was the first time for Minneapolis regaining access to passenger rail for 31 years. The Northstar Line was terminated on January 4, 2026.
The 2014 addition was designed by New York-based Perkins Eastman, to provide additional platform space for both METRO Green and Blue Lines, as well as provide community gathering space.[9] The additional platform is referred to as Platform 2, while the original platform became Platform 1.
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