Wrigley Renovation Thread

[Guest]

 

The building circled in red is the one I'm referring to, the one in blue is the building directly to the east of the fire dept. When I walk by the red circled building, there is a receptionists desk and a big Cubs logo on the wall, and Cubs related things in the various windows. Of course the baseball operations might have offices in that rooftop building, I don't know. Doesnt seem like there is a lot of room for the FO in a 3 flat, but I could be wrong. There are of course still offices in Wrigley as well. I have no idea which execs work in which offices.

 

Yea, I realize they are on that building on Clark and Waveland. But I've heard that Theo and Jed are at that rooftop building.

[UMFan83]

 

The building circled in red is the one I'm referring to, the one in blue is the building directly to the east of the fire dept. When I walk by the red circled building, there is a receptionists desk and a big Cubs logo on the wall, and Cubs related things in the various windows. Of course the baseball operations might have offices in that rooftop building, I don't know. Doesnt seem like there is a lot of room for the FO in a 3 flat, but I could be wrong. There are of course still offices in Wrigley as well. I have no idea which execs work in which offices.

 

Yea, I realize they are on that building on Clark and Waveland. But I've heard that Theo and Jed are at that rooftop building.

 

That's badass if true

[Guest]

Didn't Todd Ricketts stay in a place in that same building while on Undercover Boss, or am I remembering wrong?

[Cubswin11]

Leave it to Clown Kenney to have our baseball operations offices spread out between multiple buildings.

[KingCubsFan]

 

The building circled in red is the one I'm referring to, the one in blue is the building directly to the east of the fire dept. When I walk by the red circled building, there is a receptionists desk and a big Cubs logo on the wall, and Cubs related things in the various windows. Of course the baseball operations might have offices in that rooftop building, I don't know. Doesnt seem like there is a lot of room for the FO in a 3 flat, but I could be wrong. There are of course still offices in Wrigley as well. I have no idea which execs work in which offices.

 

Yea, I realize they are on that building on Clark and Waveland. But I've heard that Theo and Jed are at that rooftop building.

 

That's badass if true

It's not. There's only one office building (and Wrigley).

[Guest]

http://i1271.photobucket.com/albums/jj631/acecubbie/tribunewrigleystandings.jpg

[Cubswin11]

http://i1271.photobucket.com/albums/jj631/acecubbie/tribunewrigleystandings.jpg

The Rooftop Owners and Landmarks Commission can [expletive] off

[Guest]

That's basically what they're going to end up doing, as that picture illustrates.

[jersey cubs fan]

Pretty fortunate for them that next year's draft is stronger.

[Guest]

nice

[javy knows my name]

Pretty fortunate for them that next year's draft is stronger.

 

Eeeeeexellent

[Guest]

ok, that was alright

[Guest]

Looks like there's going to be a partnership between the Cubs and Northwestern to have games played at Wrigley.

 

http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/college/chi-northwestern-wrigley-field-chicago-cubs-20130202,0,3232897.story

 

A university source told the Tribune that while Wrigley will not host football in 2013, other NU teams might play there this year, such as baseball, softball, soccer and lacrosse.

 

And it’s just a matter of time before NU football returns to Wrigley Field, given that the 2010 Northwestern-Illinois game was profitable for the Cubs and gave the Wildcats a huge marketing boost.

[ConstableRabbit]

Excellent.

[J.R.]

The family has done an excellent job with maximizing the potential of the ballpark by minimizing dark dates.

 

It is remarkable that shareholder-driven Tribune never got serious about spinning the turnstiles beyond the 81 game dates, especially considering the park's history with football and soccer and McDonough's supposed marketing savvy.

[Guest]

A Tribune article revealed some details about the Cubs agreement with the rooftop owners and Brett summarized them nicely into some bullet points...

 

http://www.bleachernation.com/2013/02/04/obsessive-wrigley-renovation-watch-some-reported-details-about-the-contract-with-the-rooftops/

 

While the contract obviously contemplates protecting the rooftop views, it explicitly states that ”any expansion of Wrigley Field approved by governmental authorities shall not be a violation” of the agreement.

 

That means if Mayor Rahm Emanuel is truly behind the Ricketts Family’s plan to pay for the Wrigley Field renovation on their own, he could lean on any other governmental entity he needs to in order to get things done – for example, large ads and a JumboTron along the outfield wall. That could mean the rooftop owners would have absolutely no say, and no recourse in the courts. I’m not sure the Cubs would want to go that route, but it is apparently a possibility.

 

WGN-TV is required to show and comment on the rooftops during Cubs broadcasts, and the Cubs are supposed to ask other television partners to do the same.

 

The Cubs are required to mention the rooftops when they give tours of Wrigley Field.

 

The Cubs are required to include positive stories about the rooftops in Vine Line, the team’s official magazine. (As a publisher/writer, that one makes me tug at my collar a little bit.)

[Sammys Boombox]

Almost 80 years ago the A's went through a very similar situation with rooftop bleachers. Incredible.

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shibe_Park

 

At the park's beginning, homeowners on both Somerset Street and 20th Street had a great view of the proceedings within, thanks to the low outfield fences. While this changed for the people on Somerset in 1913 when Shibe added the left field bleacher section and blocked the view from that direction,[29] it was still a clear shot in from 20th Street over the low, twelve-foot wall in right. The view from the roofs, the bedroom bay windows, and even the porch roofs on 20th was as good as from some of the seats inside the park: Pathé News, Universal Newsreel and Fox Movietone News even set up cameras at 2739 North 20th as part of their World Series coverage.[30]

 

The numbers involved in this cottage industry were considerable: a rooftop bleacher could hold up to 80 people, with 18 more in the bay window of the front bedroom and more even on the porch roof.[31][32] Viewers on the block could number up to several thousand for important games.[31] Housewives served up refreshments for sale and children scurried to the hot dog vendors on the street, bought dogs for a nickel, and brought them back to sell for a dime.[30] With so much money on the line, the business got organized and formalized very quickly; homeowners were quickly squeezed for bribes by city amusement tax collectors, and city police collected commissions for collaring and herding fans from the sidewalk into particular homes.[29] By 1929, the extra income from the rooftop bleachers actually caused real estate values to climb on the 2700 block of N. 20th Street.[30]

 

As long as the A's were winning games and filling the park, the 20th Street entrepreneurs were annoying, but little more, to Mack and the Shibes, but that changed in the early 1930s.[30] Starting in 1932, Mack's sell-off of his Second Dynasty stars, combined with general Great Depression hard times, sent attendance plummeting. 20th Streeters, accustomed to the income but now suffering from the tough economy like everyone else, sent reps to the lines — such as they were — at the Shibe box office to offer discount seats to poach customers from the ball club.[33] This was the last straw for Jack Shibe. In the winter of 1934-35, he ordered the fence raised to nearly 50 feet. While the fence-raising was Jack Shibe's idea, since Mack was the franchise's number-one man, it became universally known as "Connie Mack's Spite Fence."[33] It not only limited the view from the street, but the unattractive corrugated metal structure curtailed much of the goodwill the team had had with its neighbors, goodwill that would never return.[34]

Shibe Park (foreground) and Baker Bowl (background upper right corner), looking east along Lehigh Avenue, Sept. 15, 1929

 

It also frustrated many Philadelphia players, both offensively and defensively. Among them, A's and Phillies outfielder Elmer Valo and Phillies right fielder Johnny Callison, both lefthanded batters, complained that the high right-field fence cost them many home runs.[35] It dogged them when they played the field, too: its rippling corrugations made caroms unpredictable, with some balls dropping straight down, others bounding all the way back to second base and some bouncing radically to one side or another, sometimes into the bullpen. It was "one of the hardest" walls to play in the majors.[36]

[UMFan83]

 

But between bar and restaurant owners saying Saturday night games could kill their business and some neighbors dreading the traffic implications, the move to maximize nighttime games has been a struggle for the Cubs.

 

The team sent out a game time survey to nearly 13,000 neighbors and season ticket holders Oct. 24 to gauge how the community felt about the potential change, and based on the replies, the results were extremely positive. More than 4,300 people responded, and almost 75 percent of Lake View neighbors said they would like 3 p.m. games on Fridays, and 70 percent said they liked the idea of Saturday night games, too.

 

“We are in an urban neighborhood, and we are aware our situation is unique,” said Cubs Vice President of Community Affairs Mike Lufrano. “…Of those surveys that we’ve done, we’re seeing something a little different (from neighbors’ complaints). We’re seeing more than 70 percent of the community who want this.”

 

But neighboring organizations aren’t so sure. Southport Neighborhood Association, East Lake View Neighbors Association and Belmont Harbor Neighbors Association each conducted their own surveys, some worried that answers from season ticket holders would affect the Cubs' survey.

 

The results from their questionnaires, passed around to members of the neighborhood organizations, were less positive. Fewer than 30 percent of Southport Neighbors supported games on Saturdays, and East Lake View Neighbors were split pretty evenly on the changes, as were Belmont Harbor Neighbors.

 

Ald. Tom Tunney (44th) says the Cubs want him to introduce the new agreement in February, but he’s still working out the details. Right now—per a suggestion by the Lake View Citizen’s Council—he’s planning to offer them three more night games and a total of four concerts, with some exceptions for MLB demands.

 

“I haven’t approved anything,” Tunney said. “I got a letter from the LVCC about the night games. Nothing has been signed off on the community whether it be night games, concerts, the planned development (of the park’s restoration) or a hotel across the street.”

 

Tunney said the deal regarding nighttime events should also include a solution to the Wrigley Rooftops advertising debacle and a decision as to whether the Cubs can close a part of Sheffield Avenue to host block parties during games.

 

Regardless, the alderman says he wants to move forward with some sort of deal that has his top interest in mind: the neighborhood.

 

“There’s no stronger critic than I of what the Cubs have or have not done in the last 30 years,” Tunney said. “I’ve seen it every day. … Is it just feast or famine, or can we have an integrated community that’s also respectful to the neighborhood?”

 

Apologies if some/all of this is old info. The article was from yesterday in the Lakeview Patch. I bolded the info I thought was interesting. Tunney is a dickhole.

[KingCubsFan]

Kind of surprised the neighborhood associations are so against Saturday night games. The traffic there is horrible on Saturday nights anyways, and having the games at night lessens the amount of time a large mass of drunk people are hanging out in the neighborhood.

 

And it's been a few years since I lived around there, but I think the bar and restaurant owners are overestimating the impact too. The night crowd v. Cubs crowd rarely overlap in terms of bars. Nobody was ever at Bernie's on a Saturday night, for example.

[SouthSideRyan]

“I haven’t approved anything,” Tunney said. “I got a letter from the LVCC about the night games. Nothing has been signed off on the community whether it be night games, concerts, the planned development (of the park’s restoration) or a hotel across the street.”

 

I think Tunney is going to be very surprised at how littler power he has under Rahm.

[ConstableRabbit]

Looks like there's going to be a partnership between the Cubs and Northwestern to have games played at Wrigley.

 

http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/college/chi-northwestern-wrigley-field-chicago-cubs-20130202,0,3232897.story

 

A university source told the Tribune that while Wrigley will not host football in 2013, other NU teams might play there this year, such as baseball, softball, soccer and lacrosse.

 

And it’s just a matter of time before NU football returns to Wrigley Field, given that the 2010 Northwestern-Illinois game was profitable for the Cubs and gave the Wildcats a huge marketing boost.

CHICAGO -- Northwestern Athletics and the Chicago Cubs announced on Tuesday (Feb. 5) an innovative, multi-year event and reciprocal marketing partnership that will showcase a wide range of Wildcats athletic programs at historic Wrigley Field in coming years, including baseball, lacrosse and five Wildcats football games.

 

"We are thrilled to partner with a professional sports franchise as iconic as the Chicago Cubs in an agreement that truly is the first of its kind," said Jim Phillips, Northwestern University Vice President For Athletics & Recreation. "As Chicago's Big Ten Team, this is a natural fit that will create tremendous opportunities for our student-athletes, our coaches and our fans in the area. I'd like to personally thank the Ricketts family and the entire Cubs executive team for all of their efforts in bringing this remarkable partnership to fruition."

 

The agreement allows Northwestern to establish an ongoing marketing presence in one of the world's most popular and recognizable sports landmarks, and the Cubs to leverage its brand and marks at Wildcats venues including Ryan Field and Welsh-Ryan Arena. Northwestern will have opportunities for concourse presence and fan giveaways at Wrigley Field, as well as professional development experiences for student-athletes in the Cubs front office.

 

"The Cubs are excited to establish an ongoing partnership with Northwestern that leverages our brands and facilities to help grow both fan bases for years to come," said Cubs President of Business Operations Crane Kenney. "We enjoyed working with the university in 2010 to host the first college football game at Wrigley Field since 1938 and look forward to entertaining a variety of collegiate sporting events in the future."

 

As part of the partnership, the Friendly Confines will potentially serve as a home venue for many of Northwestern's 19 varsity programs over the coming years. Two sports programs have tentatively set dates to kick off the exciting partnership.

 

On April 20 this season, Northwestern baseball will host Big Ten opponent Michigan. Next spring (2014), the Wildcats women's lacrosse team -- winner of seven of the last eight NCAA championships under head coach Kelly Amonte Hiller -- plans to host regional rival Notre Dame.

 

The dates for the five Wildcats football games are pending due to the scheduling of the Wrigley Field restoration project. Details on other game dates, opponents and ticket information for all Northwestern athletic events at Wrigley Field will be provided at a later date.

 

It's unclear if any of the upcoming renovations will be made with other events in mind. At the presser they mentioned making arrangements to ensure more room around the football field (e.g., temporarily removing dugout tops). The Cubs will also use NU facilities for training, as they've done this past offseason. Given the Ricketts family's connection, I have to imagine that Nebraska will be one of the opponents.

[Sammys Boombox]

Wonder if the Cubs have any chance of landing a lesser Big 10/someone else bowl game.

[UMFan83]

Wonder if the Cubs have any chance of landing a lesser Big 10/someone else bowl game.

 

Maybe...the number of cold weather outdoor bowl games is very limited. Boise has one and NYC has one, and I believe that's it. I feel like if there was a demand for a bowl game in Chicago, there would already be one at Soldier Field.

[J.R.]

I would think it is a given that the renovations will make it possible to fit a regulation grid.

 

Wonder if the Cubs have any chance of landing a lesser Big 10/someone else bowl game.

It is inevitable - so long as the bowl TV gravy train keeps rolling.

[ConstableRabbit]

Wonder if the Cubs have any chance of landing a lesser Big 10/someone else bowl game.

 

Maybe...the number of cold weather outdoor bowl games is very limited. Boise has one and NYC has one, and I believe that's it. I feel like if there was a demand for a bowl game in Chicago, there would already be one at Soldier Field.

I would imagine they haven't planned one because the field would be in pretty bad shape in late December/early Jan.