The new Wrigley

By Kathryn Masterson
RedEye

April 7, 2005

With the Cubs' plan for revamping Wrigley Field getting the city's final OK two days before the home opener, some bleacher fans say the changes will ruin the experience, while others see plenty of benefits from more night games, more tickets available and the promise of Labor Day concerts.

If you're at Wrigley on Friday, take a look around. This is the last season the Friendly Confines will look exactly this way--like it or not.

The Chicago City Council gave final, unanimous approval Wednesday to the Cubs' plan to add 1,790 bleacher seats, a 100-seat restaurant overlooking center field and a year-round five-story building and parking garage next to the ballpark that will house retail stores, another restaurant and 400 parking spaces.

The Cubs will pay the city $3 million for the right to build over the sidewalks on Waveland and Sheffield Avenues and for the rights to a piece of land west of Wrigley Field, currently a parking lot, where the new building will stand.

The team says the expansion and new building will offer fans amenities they get at other, more modern ballparks, as well as create more money for the team, while keeping the charm of the second-oldest park in Major League Baseball. Only Fenway Park in Boston is older.

"I think we've taken great care to make sure we retain the historical character of the ballpark," said Mike Lufrano, Cubs vice president for community affairs.

Cubs fans have mixed feelings about the renovations. Some welcome more seats because the team could put the extra money into high-paid players, and others hope more seats will translate into an easier time getting tickets.

Critics say Wrigley is a special place--and a major tourist attraction--that could lose some of its charm with the additions.

Linda Eisenberg, who has been sitting in the bleachers since the mid-1970s, said she and other Bleacher Bums want to keep the bleachers the way they are. The new seats will make the area overcrowded, she said, especially because people will no longer be able to stand in the walkway above the bleachers and watch the game. To her, Wrigley is home--and the bleachers, where she and her friends always take the top bench in right field, are like her living room.

"It's the most beautiful ballpark, as far as I'm concerned, in both leagues," Eisenberg said. "To change the structure at all, to me, is a cardinal sin."

Andrew Figgins, a longtime Cubs fan who with two friends runs Cubscast, a podcast of team commentary, believes the Cubs have done a good job of balancing improvements with the historic aspects of the park. He expects they will continue to do a good job with the new renovations.

"The Cubs would basically have to blow the whole thing up to lose the charm of the park," Figgins said.

He believes that younger fans expect more modern amenities at a ballpark, but he doesn't want the Cubs to get too carried away with adding modern things.

"Cubs fans need to ask themselves, do they want to go to a game where they feel like it's the 1940s or at some modern stadium?" Figgins said.

The expansion won't be noticeable until next season, when the revamped bleachers are expected to open. A construction date for the multipurpose building has not been set.

Fans will experience some changes this year, however, including new seats near the first-base dugout, a new ad board behind home plate and two concerts over Labor Day weekend.

Getting to this point took four years. The Cubs, which, like the Chicago Tribune, are owned by Tribune Co., negotiated with the city and neighborhood activists over the landmarked exterior of the park and some of its unique characteristics, including the ability to see the neighborhood from inside the park. Traffic and parking in the congested Wrigleyville neighborhood also was a major issue.

In their first proposal in 2001, the Cubs wanted to add 2,600 bleacher seats, but they later cut back the number.

Because they're expanding the bleachers, the wall will be moved back and covered on the outside with the stadium's signature ivy.

The number of night games at Wrigley will increase to 25 (with an option for a 26th), up from 22 scheduled night games last season.

As part of the deal, the Cubs will give the neighborhood $250,000 for a new park at a nearby school and $400,000 for a new stoplight to be installed at the intersection of Clark Street and Waveland Avenue.

Lakeview Ald. Tom Tunney (44th), who helped negotiate the expansion plan and neighborhood concessions, said he thought the compromise was a fair one between the team and the neighborhood, which has parking and congestion problems even when the Cubs aren't in town.

"I think we've accomplished a lot for the community and for the Cubs," Tunney said.

Tunney said he was happy with the retail development west of the field, north of Addison Street, where business slows when the Cubs are out of town, as well as the addition of a year-round parking garage with double the number of spots of the current lot. He is concerned, however, about bringing more people to the area.

"I'm not going to be out there cheerleading for more seats at Wrigley," he said.

Tom Gramatis, who owns three rooftop buildings, said Wednesday that "minor tweaking" could still be made to the Cubs' bleacher plans before a permit is issued, but he knows the project will go forward with or without any of those changes.

"There's potential for a win-win here," Gramatis said. "The Cubs can get what they want, and the businesses around Wrigley Field can be protected. I think that's what the alderman's goal is, and that's our goal as well."

Charlotte Newfeld, head of the neighborhood watchdog group Citizens United for Baseball in Sunshine, said she's happy with the new designs but is concerned about traffic and residential parking.

A new trolley service from downtown is supposed to be in place by April 25, the first night game this season, and the team is encouraging fans to use remote parking lots.

Newfeld also worried about the crowds that would come during the two Jimmy Buffett concerts at Wrigley over the Labor Day weekend. The neighborhood negotiated 3,000 tickets for area residents, $150,000 for nearby schools and one fewer night game in the 2006 season.

"I know it's going to be a zoo," Newfeld said.

--kmasterson@tribune.com