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UMN weighing options for Williams Arena ‘The Barn’
A recently released contract shows the University of Minnesota is weighing its options when it comes preserving or replacing this historic arena in the coming years.
MINNEAPOLIS — For nearly a century Williams Arena “The Barn” has been the home of Gopher Basketball.
The building has seen updates through the years, but when compared to the glitz and glamour around the Big Ten and beyond, some would say it’s seen better days.
A recently released contract shows the University of Minnesota is weighing its options for preserving or replacing the historic arena in the coming years.
According to the contract, the university has hired a company called Populous to weigh the pros and cons of renovating the arena or building a new one from scratch.
According to its website, Populous has designed more than 1,300 sports stadiums in 34 countries, including Allianz Field.
The contract states Populous will create a feasibility study that will dive into the costs and benefits of renovating the arena and building a new one on campus.
That study will be used by university officials to create a plan for the arena moving forward.
Gopher fans have mixed opinions regarding the debate between renovation and rebuilding The Barn.
“Being a student here and growing up a Gopher fan I’d be pretty sad to see it go,” senior U of M student Cade Bormann says.
Some students would prefer to see a renovation so the university can preserve the history of The Barn.
However, other students see the potential of having a completely new arena on campus.
“I think with the program on its way up right now to be able to correlate that with a new stadium would be a really good idea. I think it’s something I would be interested in, even though I’m leaving as a senior, I just think it would be fun for the new students to have a new arena here on campus,” senior U of M student Jack Kamarainen says.
According to the contract, the feasibility study will take a few months to complete.
University athletic officials say they can’t provide many more details until the study is complete and there isn’t a timeline when it comes to making a decision on which option will work best for Williams Arena.
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Last week, prosecutors charged John Sawchak with attempted 2nd-degree murder and other felony charges after he allegedly shot his neighbor Davis Moturi.
MINNEAPOLIS — Following the shooting between two neighbors, the Minneapolis City Council voted unanimously to request that the city’s auditor conduct an independent investigation into the incidents and cases between Davis Moturi and John Sawchak.
Moturi was allegedly shot by his neighbor, Sawchak, on Wednesday, Oct. 23 but Minneapolis police did not arrest Sawchak until days later.
Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara defended not arresting Sawchak sooner, calling it a “high-risk” situation. O’Hara later said the victim, who had complained about harassment from Sawchak for months, was failed by police. Sawchak was arrested this past weekend after an hours-long standoff.
Moturi suffered a fractured spine, two broken ribs, and a concussion in the shooting. “Mr. Moturi’s life matters and I’m sorry that for nearly a year, MPD did not treat it like it did,” said Council Member Robin Wonsley in a news release, “Today’s vote affirms that the City Council is committed to taking meaningful actions towards accountability and restoration, starting with this independent review.”
Meanwhile, a spokesperson for Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey released this statement:
“Mayor Frey fully supports an independent review of this incident. The mayor and City are committed to always doing better, and this means closely examining past actions and finding where there may be ways to improve and grow. The mayor extends his condolences to Davis Moturi, his wife, Caroline, and their family and friends. The safety of our residents is a top priority and any form of violence or hate speech is completely unacceptable and does not align with who we are as a community. Brian O’Hara will continue to be the Minneapolis Police Chief.”
“This Valentine’s Day, 2025, will mark the five-year anniversary of the premiere of ‘Love is Blind,” Vanessa said on the Season 7 finale. “And, it is gonna be the launch of Season 8, which takes place in Minneapolis.”
The episode also revealed three of the new cast members, one of whom, “Alex,” told Lachey Minneapolis is “not like a major city, but it’s also not a small town,” which he said is just one of the obstacles in his way of finding the one.
“I just never found the right person that clicked for me,” he said.
Meantime, you can bone up on Seasons 1-7 streaming now on Netflix.
MINNEAPOLIS — How much do you know about your grandma’s upbringing?
“The Stories From My Grandmother’s Hands” is a book that aims to show young Black children how their grandmas lived through beautiful illustrations and descriptions.
KARE 11 News at Noon shared more on Thursday about the impact that this book will have.
