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After months of wrangling, a Twins ballpark plan emerged for both houses of the Legislature to consider. The final proposal, as presented to a conference committee by Sen. Steve Kelley (DFL-Hopkins), reflected nearly all aspects of HF2480, sponsored by Finstad, as passed by the House April 26. Foremost among these is the construction of a $522 million, 42,000-seat ballpark in downtown Minneapolis. The ballpark will feature natural grass and no roof and will be operated by the Twins, who will contribute $1 million annually for capital improvements. An estimated 79 percent of the ballpark costs will be financed through the imposition of a 0.15 percent sales tax increase in Hennepin County for the next 30 years, resulting in an estimated $475 million. The deal includes $130 million from the Twins and sales tax exemptions for construction materials, estimated to be $14 million over four years beginning in 2007. The agreement also provides $4 million per year, with a 1.5 percent annual inflation factor, for youth sports and additional public library hours throughout Hennepin County for as long as the tax is collected.