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2007 March 12-18 March 5-11 Feb. 26-March 4 Feb. 19-25 Feb. 12-18 Feb. 5-11 Jan. 29-Feb. 4 Jan. 22-28 Jan. 15-21 Jan. 8-14 Jan. 1-7 |
Cubs release plans for Wrigley Field bleacher expansion
The Chicago Cubs released new illustrations
of proposed Wrigley Field bleacher improvements and a new
building planned for the parking lot west of the ballpark.
The team and the city of Chicago reached agreement this week
on these designs, which reflect four years of input from
community residents and City officials.
"We have worked hard to come up with a solution to meet the
needs of the Cubs and the concerns of our neighbors and the
city," said Andy MacPhail, Cubs president and CEO. "We hope
our continuing investment in our ballpark will help sustain
the future of Wrigley Field."
The improved Wrigley campus will enhance the fan experience
inside and outside the ballpark. The new design replicates
Wrigley's famed ivy-covered outfield walls on the bleacher
exterior and adds an area where pedestrians can peer into the
park through open fencing on Sheffield Avenue, which will
replace an existing metal gate.
Landscaping, sidewalk and exterior upgrades around the entire
park complement the new bleacher entrance at Sheffield and
Waveland avenues. New amenities such as bathrooms, concessions
and additional exits will help update the ballpark's aging
bleachers.
The new addition includes wheelchair-accessible seats in the
bleachers for the first time.
"From the outset, community leaders have been consistent in
their hope this expansion could be accomplished without having
exposed columns in the sidewalk," said Mike Lufrano, Cubs vice
president of community affairs. "We are able to accommodate
this goal while achieving a classic look for Wrigley's
exterior and help the area around the park look better
year-round."
Since the Cubs first proposed expanding the bleachers in 2001,
several changes have been made in response to input from
neighbors and City planning officials. The proposed exposed
columns on sidewalks on Waveland and Sheffield avenues have
been eliminated. The cross aisle at the rear of the bleachers
has been lowered to help enhance views of the neighborhood.
The original 2,600-seat expansion has been scaled back to
1,790 new seats, and there will be an additional 100-person
restaurant in the centerfield "Batter's Eye."
A multi-purpose building complementing the classic look of
Wrigley Field replaces the car wash and former donut shop on
underutilized land west of the ballpark. Players will benefit
from state-of-the-art batting cages, indoor pitchers mounds
and other facilities located underground.
Fans will have access to a themed restaurant, additional
restroom facilities and an open-air pedestrian parkway
available to the public on non-game days between the new
building and Wrigley.
Fans and neighbors also will benefit from wider sidewalks on
Clark Street, a multi-level parking facility with parking
available for residents and businesses on non-game days, and
modern lighting outside the bleachers to enhance aesthetics
and safety year-round.
"The addition of open space and green space around the
ballpark will significantly improve the look of Wrigley Field
from the outside," Lufrano said. "The new parking spaces
respond to an issue we've heard consistently in our
community."
The Cubs are committed to financing the construction
themselves, a rarity among modern professional sports teams.
The agreement reached Monday includes a proposal for the Cubs
to pay the city $3.1 million to resolve a dispute regarding
ownership of a piece of land west of Wrigley, and for the
right to build over the sidewalk on Waveland and Sheffield
avenues.
The city also would receive $250,000 toward a new campus park
at Blaine School and $400,000 for a stoplight at the
intersection of Clark Street and Waveland Avenue.
The new design will be presented at a community meeting March
8 and requires approval from the Chicago Plan Commission, the
Commission on Chicago Landmarks and the Chicago City Council.
If approved, construction would begin after the 2005 season.
Mark McGuire, Cubs executive vice president of business
operations, has led the redesign effort. The bleacher
improvement project was designed by HOK Sport and incorporates
recommendations of nationally renowned local renovation
architect John Vinci, and prominent landscaping design firm,
Peter Lindsay Schaudt Landscape Architecture, Inc. It also
incorporates recommendations of the Landmarks Preservation
Council of Illinois.
--March 4, 2005
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