IlliniKrush Posted June 18, 2004 Share Posted June 18, 2004 Cubs unveil latest Wrigley expansion plans Tribune staff reports June 18, 2004, 1:38 PM CDT The Chicago Cubs today announced revised plans to develop the area surrounding Wrigley Field, with a multi-use structure with dining and parking to be built west of the ballpark. The ball club filed its plans with the city this morning and hopes to resolve by year's end such issues as a controversial bleacher expansion, and whether the team or the city owns a strip of land just west of Wrigley that would be part of the project, officials said. Even if all the outstanding issues are settled by the end of the year, though, "chances are we would not begin construction until after the 2005 season at the earliest," said Mike Lufrano, vice president of community affairs for the North Side team. Speaking at a news conference to announce the plans, Lufrano acknowledged a "variety of opinions in the neighborhood" over the proposed expansion, and said the team looked forward to working with its neighbors, including the owners of private rooftop seats who have opposed the bleacher expansion. "This represents the final pieces of the plan we really proposed starting in 2001 to improve Wrigley Field and the campus surrounding the ballpark, to add amenities and things that will help our fans, our players and our community," Lufrano said. The Cubs are owned by the Tribune Co., which also owns the Chicago Tribune. A triangular, four-story, multi-purpose building with a rooftop garden with a theme restaurant, retail shops, restrooms and parking for up to 400 vehicles would be built on the block west of the park, east of Clark Street and south of Waveland Avenue, officials said. That area is now occupied by surface parking, a car wash and a doughnut shop. The parking garage would be open to local residents and businesses on non-game days, Lufrano said. The new building also would contain underground player development facilities, including batting cages, pitchers' mounds and practice facilities, officials said. A pedestrian parkway, open year-round to the public and to fans on game days, would fill the space between the new building and the ballpark, Lufrano said. The ownership of this area, however, is uncertain. The land formerly was a railroad right-of-way. The Cubs acquired it in 1982. But the city has disputed that transaction, saying the Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul & Pacific Railroad had no right to sell what really was city-owned property, a long-vacated street the city let the railroad occupy in the 19th Century. A potentially thornier issue, though, is the team's plans for 1,980 new bleacher seats on structures extending over the sidewalks along Sheffield and Waveland Avenues east and north of the park, respectively. Lufrano noted the team's latest proposal is down from 2,600 seats in the team's original expansion plan, later reduced to 2,100 seats and, in 2002, to 1,980. Still, city officials at the time rejected the expansion plan. He said the 1,980 new bleacher seats would be "a very small increase, about 5 percent of our current capacity." Also, the latest plans eliminate all but four support columns for the new bleachers—two each on Waveland and Sheffield. Lufrano said, "They're located in areas where the sidewalk is 24 to 26 feet wide, so they really don't interrupt pedestrian traffic and shouldn't have any negative impact." To reassure those who have contended the area beneath the bleachers would be dark and unsafe, Lufrano said lighting and security cameras would be installed beneath the seats, "so we think there will be a real improvement." Ivy would cover exterior brick walls. The bleacher project also would include a "batter's eye" restaurant, air conditioned and enclosed in tinted glass, in the center field. ************** There are 3 artist renderings of it on chicagosports.com Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr. Showtime Posted June 18, 2004 Share Posted June 18, 2004 The photos looked pretty cool. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Critic Posted June 19, 2004 Share Posted June 19, 2004 Will it have a built-in drunk tank/overnight holding cell? Better make it a BIG one... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kid Gleason Posted June 19, 2004 Share Posted June 19, 2004 I didn't read that, but just tell me, have they found modern style toilets yet? And also have they decided to maybe add a few more restrooms? Or is that all the of that whole "atmosphere" thing? I've said it before, I was traumatized by that horse troft for a toilet as a kid! 90 Year old man penis...:puke Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SuperSteve Posted June 19, 2004 Share Posted June 19, 2004 I didn't read that, but just tell me, have they found modern style toilets yet? And also have they decided to maybe add a few more restrooms? Or is that all the of that whole "atmosphere" thing? I've said it before, I was traumatized by that horse troft for a toilet as a kid! 90 Year old man penis...:puke Yeah, you were looking forward to 100 year-old man penis. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kid Gleason Posted June 19, 2004 Share Posted June 19, 2004 Hey...shouldn't that be green??? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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