Wrigley Renovation Thread

[GammonsPocketTweets]

Should have played that card along time ago Tom.

[Hairyducked Idiot]

Should have played that card along time ago Tom.

 

It might as well be a blank card. He can play it if he wants, but it doesn't mean anything because it's as empty a threat as there could possibly be.

[GammonsPocketTweets]

Should have played that card along time ago Tom.

 

It might as well be a blank card. He can play it if he wants, but it doesn't mean anything because it's as empty a threat as there could possibly be.

 

How so?

[Guest]

Should have played that card along time ago Tom.

 

It might as well be a blank card. He can play it if he wants, but it doesn't mean anything because it's as empty a threat as there could possibly be.

 

It's not unfathomable that moving could make more sense financially, sunk costs and all, if they don't get the concessions on the things they're asking for.

[davell]

On the other hand, Ricketts has already missed his self imposed deadline to have things finalized so baseball ops could have their new clubhouse, batting cages, weight room, etc. Watching Ricketts handle this is just a comedy of errors.

[Hairyducked Idiot]

How so?

 

There is no plausible combination of events that would cause the Cubs to leave Wrigley Field. You'd need an alternative location that wasn't a total backwater that was also willing to foot the entire cost of a new stadium.

 

No matter how frustrated Ricketts gets, it'd still be better for the bottom-line long term to bite the bullet and pay for the new clubhouse and other renovations out of pocket (just slash another $40m off of payroll or something) without the new signage and other revenue generators.

[Guest]

On the other hand, Ricketts has already missed his self imposed deadline to have things finalized so baseball ops could have their new clubhouse, batting cages, weight room, etc. Watching Ricketts handle this is just a comedy of errors.

 

What?

[GammonsPocketTweets]

If a better location offered the land for free,(like Rosemont) I think it's possible, or at the very lest a decent threat.

[Hairyducked Idiot]

If a better location offered the land for free,(like Rosemont) I think it's possible, or at the very lest a decent threat.

 

OK, you've got the land for free.

 

Where's the money for the actual building of the stadium going to come from? That's a $500m-$1b outlay.

[jersey cubs fan]

Should have played that card along time ago Tom.

 

It might as well be a blank card. He can play it if he wants, but it doesn't mean anything because it's as empty a threat as there could possibly be.

 

It's not unfathomable that moving could make more sense financially, sunk costs and all, if they don't get the concessions on the things they're asking for.

 

It's almost unfathomable that they would end up moving, which is why opponents should view the threat as nearly empty. They would literally have to get nothing they want to justify such a move.

 

A top rate stadium is going to start at $1B, and construction would not be able to begin for at least a year, lasting another 1-2 (at least). This would require essentially spending zero dollars on Wrigley Field for the next 3 seasons, while still playing in it. You can't justify a clubhouse upgrade, any sort of expansion or new signage. You would have to remove the city from negotiations for the new land, which reduces the competition by the suburbs that want in.

 

If they get 50-60% of what they want, they probably can't come close to justifying a move to a new location.

[Guest]

Paul Sullivan ‏@PWSullivan 6m

A brief lull in @thekapman tweets after he leaves to bring Ricketts' car around front.

[Guest]

Sullivan is just the absolute worst.

 

@thekapman: "We anticipate increasing spending on the baseball side as soon as we know what we can do with this plan."

[Guest]

Sullivan is just the absolute worst.

 

@thekapman: "We anticipate increasing spending on the baseball side as soon as we know what we can do with this plan."

 

Sweet.

 

Does that lend some credence to the idea that the payroll cuts might have been a political move (sucks either way - just a thought)?

[GammonsPocketTweets]

Interesting, so they don't have to actually realize the revenue, just know that it's confirmed to be coming in.

[Banedon]

@DannyEcker Ricketts: if it comes to a point where we can't do what we want to do, we'll have to consider moving. (Crowd murmurs)

 

http://www.reactiongifs.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/awesome.gif

[davell]

On the other hand, Ricketts has already missed his self imposed deadline to have things finalized so baseball ops could have their new clubhouse, batting cages, weight room, etc. Watching Ricketts handle this is just a comedy of errors.

 

What?

Can't find the article. Thought it was Mooney. Basically put it in doubt that those things can happen on time. If everything gets set back another year, it would suck.

[Guest]

On the other hand, Ricketts has already missed his self imposed deadline to have things finalized so baseball ops could have their new clubhouse, batting cages, weight room, etc. Watching Ricketts handle this is just a comedy of errors.

 

What?

Can't find the article. Thought it was Mooney. Basically put it in doubt that those things can happen on time. If everything gets set back another year, it would suck.

 

I remember something to that effect around the time of the original deadline and just thought it was a leak to put pressure on the thing. I doubt that will happen. And it shouldn't take that much time in advance to get the wheels in motion on the project. Ordering materials doesn't require 6 months. I'd imagine they've already done a lot of the work toward getting it started, too.

[Hairyducked Idiot]

I remember something to that effect around the time of the original deadline and just thought it was a leak to put pressure on the thing. I doubt that will happen. And it shouldn't take that much time in advance to get the wheels in motion on the project. Ordering materials doesn't require 6 months. I'd imagine they've already done a lot of the work toward getting it started, too.

 

IIRC, the report was that the custom steel pieces they would need would have a long lag time and need to be ordered more than six months in advance. Like, the actual supports that would hold up the stadium after they re-gut the underneaths.

[jersey cubs fan]

I remember something to that effect around the time of the original deadline and just thought it was a leak to put pressure on the thing. I doubt that will happen. And it shouldn't take that much time in advance to get the wheels in motion on the project. Ordering materials doesn't require 6 months. I'd imagine they've already done a lot of the work toward getting it started, too.

 

I'm no engineer, but the work they need to do underneath there seems incredibly intricate and would probably both take much longer and require much more lead time in the process than something like the Bears redoing Halas Hall. It's probably going to require temporary structural support, brand new permanent support and a whole hell of a lot of gutting, not completely unlike building new subway stations.

[Guest]

I remember something to that effect around the time of the original deadline and just thought it was a leak to put pressure on the thing. I doubt that will happen. And it shouldn't take that much time in advance to get the wheels in motion on the project. Ordering materials doesn't require 6 months. I'd imagine they've already done a lot of the work toward getting it started, too.

 

I'm no engineer, but the work they need to do underneath there seems incredibly intricate and would probably both take much longer and require much more lead time in the process than something like the Bears redoing Halas Hall. It's probably going to require temporary structural support, brand new permanent support and a whole hell of a lot of gutting, not completely unlike building new subway stations.

 

I don't doubt that. I just doubt that the wheels aren't already in motion to the point that a few weeks in April would keep the project from starting in October.

 

It has been hard to read where things actually stand since this not yet agreed upon "agreement" was reached, but it seemed like they committed to starting the clubhouse and other phase 1 stuff this October.

[jersey cubs fan]

I remember something to that effect around the time of the original deadline and just thought it was a leak to put pressure on the thing. I doubt that will happen. And it shouldn't take that much time in advance to get the wheels in motion on the project. Ordering materials doesn't require 6 months. I'd imagine they've already done a lot of the work toward getting it started, too.

 

I'm no engineer, but the work they need to do underneath there seems incredibly intricate and would probably both take much longer and require much more lead time in the process than something like the Bears redoing Halas Hall. It's probably going to require temporary structural support, brand new permanent support and a whole hell of a lot of gutting, not completely unlike building new subway stations.

 

I don't doubt that. I just doubt that the wheels aren't already in motion to the point that a few weeks in April would keep the project from starting in October.

 

It has been hard to read where things actually stand since this not yet agreed upon "agreement" was reached, but it seemed like they committed to starting the clubhouse and other phase 1 stuff this October.

 

But wheels being in motion would require money being spent and it doesn't make any sense for Ricketts to commit money to the project without knowing the status of the project. Basically, his negotiating stance would be nil if he foolishly paid for some of that stuff already.

[Ding Dong Johnson]

What ever happened to that guy who used to build houses in a week?

[Banedon]

Not surprisingly, the move threat is the headline on chicagosports.com.

[davell]

The threat to move should have been done long ago, in my opinion. Not that I think they would(or even could). It just seems empty to me. If they can't dip into their own pockets for an extra 20-30 mill in payroll, what makes anyone think they've got the ability to pay for a new stadium? The way this has been handled, allowing these negotiations to linger on this long, just means we're likely to see everything get pushed back.

[WrigleyField 22]

I think its important they get the first stage started this offseason even if it meant scheduling some home games at other locations for a month or two to start next year. Hell April baseball in Chicago sucks anyways.

 

 

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