Wrigley Field Renovations

[Lions/[email protected]!]

I'm completely in favor of a large scale Wrigley Field renovation that would include the long talked about triangle building as well as removing and replacing the upperdeck. It seems a lot was learned with the renovation of Soldier Field. The outside looks like a spaceship crashed on the sight that was formerly Soldier Field (with some debri making it as far as milinuem park) but everyone who has been inside to see a football or soccer game says it's incredible.
What I don't understand is even with a 20 year lease, how can they get enough money from a ticket tax to do the renovation? The costs of something this huge would be nearly as much as an entire new stadium and a quarter or fifty cents isn't gonna cut it... lol

http://www.suntimes.com/news/metro/835522,CST-NWS-wrig11.article

I guess, I also don't get where they're going to get 200-300+ million for naming rights because (as Chicago learned with US Cellular still being referred to as Comisky) the park will always be called Wrigley unless they move somewhere else entirely.

With the team sale imminent and Wrigley being sold to the state of Illinois, it's seeming more and more as though to me that the park is going to continue to slowly fall apart until they're forced to move elsewhere... it'll be a shame. What are your thoughts?

[StanTheMan]

I did not read the article.... sorry, but having been to Wrigley about 10 times, this Cardinal fan has always thought there is just one thing to do with Wrigley Field.

Tear it down, have the Cubs play at the Sox park for ONE YEAR, and rebuild Wrigley (with a few modern additions) right on the same location. Some of it would change, but probably not much.

That park should stay in that neighborhood.

[YankeeStadium1923]

Hey StanThe Man....."Tear Down Wrigley".....Your kidding...right?

Why stop with Wrigley....Lets tear down Fenway.....or why stop with Ballparks.....

Lets tear down The Statue of Liberty.....Brooklyn Bridge.....The Whitehouse.....

[Bazookadale]

Tear it down, have the Cubs play at the Sox park for ONE YEAR, and rebuild Wrigley (with a few modern additions) right on the same location.

Tear it down and rebuild it in one year? 1914 construction crews could have done that - 21st century advanced techniques would take 3 years or more and it would be falling apart 25 years later.

[StanTheMan]

Something must be done...... the park has chunks of concrete falling down.... possibly on people's heads. The Cubs have installed nets underneath the upper deck to prevent this, I've seen them. Ignoring it won't make it go away.

As for construction..... and demolition. Begin early October, right after the season. You have SEVENTEEN MONTHS until opening day, with the Cubs playing on the southside for one season only.

Either rebuild it, or move the Cubs out of that neighborhood. I think the former is better.

And yes, Fenway will come down eventually as well. It's part of life. Deal with it.

[StanTheMan]

Tear it down and rebuild it in one year? 1914 construction crews could have done that - 21st century advanced techniques would take 3 years or more and it would be falling apart 25 years later.

Are you kidding? Busch III did not take 3 yeras, nor did PNC, The BOB, New Yankee won't, etc. etc. etc.

A new Wrigley could be built in 17 months, and the Cubs play on the southside for one year.

[StanTheMan]

Hey StanThe Man....."Tear Down Wrigley".....Your kidding...right?

Why stop with Wrigley....Lets tear down Fenway.....or why stop with Ballparks.....

Lets tear down The Statue of Liberty.....Brooklyn Bridge.....The Whitehouse.....

Interesting username, especially with that post.

IF Statues of Liberty or Brookly Bridges required more luxury boxes, or more capacity, or other renovations which make proper MONETARY sense in a changing economic landscape, then I guarantee you that changes would be made to Ellis Island and the SOL, or to the Bridge. I've been to both, btw.

If chunks of concrete were falling off the Bridge and potentially hitting cars, don't you think something would be done?

[YankeeStadium1923]

Interesting username, especially with that post.

IF Statues of Liberty or Brookly Bridges required more luxury boxes, or more capacity, or other renovations which make proper MONETARY sense in a changing economic landscape, then I guarantee you that changes would be made to Ellis Island and the SOL, or to the Bridge. I've been to both, btw.

If chunks of concrete were falling off the Bridge and potentially hitting cars, don't you think something would be done?

When the Brooklyn Bridge was built it had trains, horsedrawn wagons, and pedestrian traffic. The bridge was converted to automobile traffic to meet the needs of modern society......
The Statue of Liberty had it's torch closed many moons ago because of safety concerns, however it remains standing....

Why so quick to knock down Wrigley Field?

Has there been any Architectural or Engineering studies showing that Wrigley cannot be restored or renovated?

By the way, A cable snapped and killed a Japanese tourist on the pedestrian walkway of the Brooklyn Bridge in 1981....The bridge was properly inspected and maintained and ready for it's 100th birthday in 1983.....

And will be preseved for future generations of New Yorkers and tourist to enjoy....

Lets do the same with Wrigley!

Proper MONETARY sense? For whom wealthy owners at taxpayer expense!

[Lions/[email protected]!]

http://wkow.madison.com/News/index.php?ID=19480

Wrigley Field at Boeing Plaza? I don't know how the site can be referred to as a plaza without there being something other then the Cubby Bear and a McDonalds.... They need, desperately, to add some parking garages, the triangle building and perhaps even some "family friendly" amnenities or restaurants built out along Clark St.
I saw a rendering a few years ago that showed the traingle building and a merchant's row kind of walk way between the park and the building. Does anyone have those pictures still?

[YankeeStadium1923]

Hey Lions/[email protected]!

Heres the link:

http://chicago.cubs.mlb.com/chc/ballpark/expansion.jsp

[PeteU]

Are you kidding? Busch III did not take 3 yeras, nor did PNC, The BOB, New Yankee won't, etc. etc. etc.

A new Wrigley could be built in 17 months, and the Cubs play on the southside for one year.

Stan is right.

The Jacksonville Jaguar's football stadium was built in 20 months on the same site and footprint of the former Gator Bowl Stadium. So a timetable of under 2 years is realistic assuming no complications.

That being said, I don't really want to see Wrigley Field leveled and rebuilt, personally. But that's just me.

[StanTheMan]

And I'm not advocating that Wrigley be torn down tomorrow... but the end IS near.

[alpineinc]

http://wkow.madison.com/News/index.php?ID=19480

Wrigley Field at Boeing Plaza? I don't know how the site can be referred to as a plaza without there being something other then the Cubby Bear and a McDonalds.... They need, desperately, to add some parking garages, the triangle building and perhaps even some "family friendly" amnenities or restaurants built out along Clark St.
I saw a rendering a few years ago that showed the traingle building and a merchant's row kind of walk way between the park and the building. Does anyone have those pictures still?

Hey Lions/[email protected]!

Heres the link:

http://chicago.cubs.mlb.com/chc/ballpark/expansion.jsp

Is that triangle building just a parking garage with trees? Or are there other ideas for it?





It looks like a good plan, here's hoping they can implement it.

[soxnut67]

Tear it down..goodbye

[Lions/[email protected]!]

The original plan was to have it be retail on the bottom and then parking garages above but they've since decided that the area is already too congested and the streets couldn't accomidate all the traffic of a parking garage there. Therefore they're planning on making it into office space for the Cubs aind training facilities.

http://www.suntimes.com/news/commentary/840464,CST-EDT-field13.article

Here is today's Sun-Times article about the Tribune selling Wrigley Field to the State. What I think is funny about this is that no one is able to point fingers at the purchase of US Cellular as being a tax burden on the State, yet the Cubs are far more lucrative then the W.Sox.

If the changes around US Cellular are any indications as to what could become of Wrigley... I actually think I might be for the purchase. I just have this sinking feeling that with the Cubs and Wrigley not owned by the same entity and with all the arguing we've seen... it's ultimately going to turn into a quagmire and the park will never fully be restored. I could see the team finding real estate in 15 years at some abandon train yard on the north side and the Team moving to a park that will be named Wrigley for about two years before becoming another Corporate-Branded facility.