Residents of the West Metro may be familiar with the bustling commercial area of St. Louis Park, just south of Interstate 394 near Park Place. This district, home to the West End shopping and entertainment hub, a Costco, Home Depot, Yangzte restaurant, KFAN studios, Life Time Fitness, and more, hides an intriguing piece of history beneath its urban veneer. Amid the asphalt and commerce lies the faint memory of what could have been a vibrant ballpark district. Though no stadium was ever built, the echoes of this unfulfilled dream still linger.
At the heart of this story is a small body of water in front of St. Louis Park’s DoubleTree Hotel. Technically a pond but elevated to park status with a walking trail and benches, it is officially called Candlestick Pond. The name offers a glimpse into its history. In January 1950, Giants owner Horace Stoneham announced plans to construct a new ballpark at the site, targeting completion by the 1952 season. However, logistical challenges soon arose. An adjacent sand pit needed filling, parking demands grew, and concerns about the location being “too far” for St. Paul residents added to the complications.
By 1954, Stoneham abandoned the project, favoring a stadium site in Bloomington. St. Paul, focused on its AAA stadium Midway, also rejected the Bloomington location. Eventually, the Millers settled in Bloomington’s Metropolitan Stadium in 1956, and the Giants relocated to California alongside the Dodgers. The dream of a St. Louis Park ballpark was officially dead.
The land remained in the Giants’ possession, but as Highway 12 evolved into Interstate 394, the area became a development hotspot. In 1962, the Cooper Theater was built on the land, followed by the renaming of a road to Candlestick Drive in 1966. By the 1980s, Kraus-Anderson acquired the property, erasing Candlestick Drive and replacing it with offices, businesses, and the DoubleTree.
Today, the only remnant of that era is the unmarked Candlestick Pond, a tranquil spot likely originating from the sand pit. While its history has largely faded, the pond remains a quiet testament to what might have been.
