Wrigley Renovation Thread

[Guest]

On the upside, it looks like Phase Two is a lot less likely to be delayed by the elements, although I obviously know jack-all about construction.

 

Phase Two is:

 

Clubhouses (inside-ish, I'd imagine)

Bullpens (under the bleachers being built now)

"A new, 30,000-square-foot concessions preparation and staging area will be added below the plaza"

 

This seems to be the real doozy of Phase Two: "The seats and most of the concrete from the left-field foul pole to the main gate under the marquee will all be replaced, and the third-base-side concourse will be completed. Plans include new concessions and bathrooms in the area." and "enhancements to the right-field upper deck, including the development of a new outdoor concourse along the south and west roofline of the ballpark with additional concessions and bathrooms."

 

Phase Three shifts things to the first base side.

 

Don't they have to basically burrow under the triangle to do the new clubhouses? They're getting majorly expanded so it's not just cosmetic changes.

[Guest]

On the upside, it looks like Phase Two is a lot less likely to be delayed by the elements, although I obviously know jack-all about construction.

 

Phase Two is:

 

Clubhouses (inside-ish, I'd imagine)

Bullpens (under the bleachers being built now)

"A new, 30,000-square-foot concessions preparation and staging area will be added below the plaza"

 

This seems to be the real doozy of Phase Two: "The seats and most of the concrete from the left-field foul pole to the main gate under the marquee will all be replaced, and the third-base-side concourse will be completed. Plans include new concessions and bathrooms in the area." and "enhancements to the right-field upper deck, including the development of a new outdoor concourse along the south and west roofline of the ballpark with additional concessions and bathrooms."

 

Phase Three shifts things to the first base side.

 

Don't they have to basically burrow under the triangle to do the new clubhouses? They're getting majorly expanded so it's not just cosmetic changes.

 

That's being done all summer and should be done enough to let the players tour it by the end of this season. As in, there'll be something there, it just won't be game ready yet, IIRC. There's already a giant hole dug out.

 

Talked to some of the workers recently and it sounds like the Cubs are falling on the sword a bit by blaming the weather for this first phase and that it was a lot of red tape still with the city. Who knows...but the fact that they didn't order steel until the first week of December had nothing at all to do with the weather.

[ctcf]

the fact that they didn't order steel until the first week of December had nothing at all to do with the weather.

 

Yeesh

[Guest]

the fact that they didn't order steel until the first week of December had nothing at all to do with the weather.

 

Yeesh

 

Yeah, I'm with you. Not only was this the phase most susceptible to delays (because of both the scope of work itself, the utility work because of the narrowing of the street, and the fact that the outfield "sweep" stuff was the largest point of contention and the one most likely to be interfered with by a million and one factors), but it wasn't actually delayed by weather. It was delayed mainly by the plan alterations and I'm not sure why nobody has picked up on that.

 

A week of extreme cold in February that backed up the steel work a bit didn't cause this thing to go into May and June like they've said and that shouldn't be hard to see.

[SouthSideRyan]

the fact that they didn't order steel until the first week of December had nothing at all to do with the weather.

 

Yeesh

 

Yeah, I'm with you. Not only was this the phase most susceptible to delays (because of both the scope of work itself, the utility work because of the narrowing of the street, and the fact that the outfield "sweep" stuff was the largest point of contention and the one most likely to be interfered with by a million and one factors), but it wasn't actually delayed by weather. It was delayed mainly by the plan alterations and I'm not sure why nobody has picked up on that.

 

A week of extreme cold in February that backed up the steel work a bit didn't cause this thing to go into May and June like they've said and that shouldn't be hard to see.

 

I assumed most people outside of Bleacher Nation realized that.

[Guest]

the fact that they didn't order steel until the first week of December had nothing at all to do with the weather.

 

Yeesh

 

Yeah, I'm with you. Not only was this the phase most susceptible to delays (because of both the scope of work itself, the utility work because of the narrowing of the street, and the fact that the outfield "sweep" stuff was the largest point of contention and the one most likely to be interfered with by a million and one factors), but it wasn't actually delayed by weather. It was delayed mainly by the plan alterations and I'm not sure why nobody has picked up on that.

 

A week of extreme cold in February that backed up the steel work a bit didn't cause this thing to go into May and June like they've said and that shouldn't be hard to see.

 

I assumed most people outside of Bleacher Nation realized that.

 

You'd think so, but all you hear in the media is DUR HUR ITS COLD IN CHICAGO IN THE WINTER WHO KNEW?!

[SouthSideRyan]

the fact that they didn't order steel until the first week of December had nothing at all to do with the weather.

 

Yeesh

 

Yeah, I'm with you. Not only was this the phase most susceptible to delays (because of both the scope of work itself, the utility work because of the narrowing of the street, and the fact that the outfield "sweep" stuff was the largest point of contention and the one most likely to be interfered with by a million and one factors), but it wasn't actually delayed by weather. It was delayed mainly by the plan alterations and I'm not sure why nobody has picked up on that.

 

A week of extreme cold in February that backed up the steel work a bit didn't cause this thing to go into May and June like they've said and that shouldn't be hard to see.

 

I assumed most people outside of Bleacher Nation realized that.

 

You'd think so, but all you hear in the media is DUR HUR ITS COLD IN CHICAGO IN THE WINTER WHO KNEW?!

 

I'm not sure what you're saying here. They're mocking the Cubs for trying to pass of the cold as an excuse.

[Guest]

 

You'd think so, but all you hear in the media is DUR HUR ITS COLD IN CHICAGO IN THE WINTER WHO KNEW?!

 

I'm not sure what you're saying here. They're mocking the Cubs for trying to pass of the cold as an excuse.

 

Not really. That would make sense, but these aren't smart people. They're mocking them because they actually believe the weather was the reason and that the Cubs were dumb for trying to do this project in the winter, which is dumb, because there's nothing wrong with doing this project in the winter. Like nobody at all is talking about the fact that they had plan alterations that weren't put through until December and that steel wasn't ordered til then. Nobody. It has fallen completely by the wayside.

 

The Cubs would rather just look like idiots I guess than admit that they were moving signs around to clear up views for the rooftops they bought.

[Guest]

Word of delays came out well before the signs moved/rooftops bought, no? The main reason for the delay when it first came out was basically that the underlying condition under the bleachers was worse than expected I thought.

 

I guess I'm not optimistic the extensive grandstand/upper deck work won't eventually cause issues as well. And if we actually did get a bad winter it could effect construction in a significant way. Didn't realize they were doing a lot of underground work now, but that's gonna be somewhat limited until the off season.

[Guest]

Word of delays came out well before the signs moved/rooftops bought, no? The main reason for the delay when it first came out was basically that the underlying condition under the bleachers was worse than expected I thought.

 

I guess I'm not optimistic the extensive grandstand/upper deck work won't eventually cause issues as well. And if we actually did get a bad winter it could effect construction in a significant way. Didn't realize they were doing a lot of underground work now, but that's gonna be somewhat limited until the off season.

 

The first delays were about the utility work from narrowing the streets, yes.

 

There's no getting around the fact that the steel wasn't ordered until December and that's why no steel was going up until like, what, late February? That's why this is going into June.

[Guest]

I guess I'm not optimistic the extensive grandstand/upper deck work won't eventually cause issues as well. And if we actually did get a bad winter it could effect construction in a significant way. Didn't realize they were doing a lot of underground work now, but that's gonna be somewhat limited until the off season.

 

Why would it be? It's in the triangle parcel which is completely fenced off. Work is going on there unimpeded. The only part that really impacts the existing building itself is the tunneling out to it and they already did the steel/foundational reinforcements that they had to do to allow for that from what I understand.

[Guest]

They still have a lot of tunneling actual the actual existing structures. Are they doing that or just digging for the triangle portion?

[Guest]

They still have a lot of tunneling actual the actual existing structures. Are they doing that or just digging for the triangle portion?

the vast majority of the digging is in the triangle parcel and then there is just a tunnel that leads out to it from the old clubhouse. i don't know to what extent that tunnel has been dug up, if at all (i do know that the foundation/steel work in preparation was done this offseason), but the entire new clubhouse is outside the boundaries of wrigley and will be under construction all year.

[Guest]

 

http://www.trbimg.com/img-551ff893/turbine/chi-wrigley-field-rehab-underway-20140925-027/1150/1150x647

http://www.trbimg.com/img-551f4d73/turbine/chi-ct-ct-chicago-aerials-photo-met-xxxx-04-ct0027898228-20150403/1150/1150x647

http://www.trbimg.com/img-552408b9/turbine/chi-wrigley-ct0027929287-20150405/1150/1150x647

 

 

you can kind of see the giant hole as it stands as of a few days ago

Edited April 7, 2015 by David

[SouthSideRyan]

I know [expletive] all about construction, but can somebody assuage my worries that doing half the grandstand should be at least as large an undertaking as doing the bleachers area?

[Guest]

I know [expletive] all about construction, but can somebody assuage my worries that doing half the grandstand should be at least as large an undertaking as doing the bleachers area?

If David is right and they did all the necessary foundation support this offseason it's certainly a better outlook.

[Guest]

I know [expletive] all about construction, but can somebody assuage my worries that doing half the grandstand should be at least as large an undertaking as doing the bleachers area?

 

I know slightly more than [expletive] all, but it's not as extensive a demolition, there really isn't a whole lot of latitude for what they'd be doing with the steel (as there would be with the bleachers because they were completely redesigning that area and sign placement etc.)...there's no reason they should have to wait until the middle of winter to order steel and they've already done a lot of steel work in the 3B concourse.

 

I just can't imagine where the red tape that held up the bleachers could come into play with ripping up concrete, replacing steel to more or less match the existing design, and pouring new concrete. How long did almost nothing seem to be going on once they had finished knocking down the bleachers in October?

[ctcf]

I know [expletive] all about construction, but can somebody assuage my worries that doing half the grandstand should be at least as large an undertaking as doing the bleachers area?

 

I know slightly more than [expletive] all, but it's not as extensive a demolition, there really isn't a whole lot of latitude for what they'd be doing with the steel (as there would be with the bleachers because they were completely redesigning that area and sign placement etc.)...there's no reason they should have to wait until the middle of winter to order steel and they've already done a lot of steel work in the 3B concourse.

 

I just can't imagine where the red tape that held up the bleachers could come into play with ripping up concrete, replacing steel to more or less match the existing design, and pouring new concrete. How long did almost nothing seem to be going on once they had finished knocking down the bleachers in October?

 

I kinda figured this as well. Do we know how much stuff like expanding Wrigley into the street for the new bleachers had played into red-tape hold ups?

[Guest]

I know [expletive] all about construction, but can somebody assuage my worries that doing half the grandstand should be at least as large an undertaking as doing the bleachers area?

 

I know slightly more than [expletive] all, but it's not as extensive a demolition, there really isn't a whole lot of latitude for what they'd be doing with the steel (as there would be with the bleachers because they were completely redesigning that area and sign placement etc.)...there's no reason they should have to wait until the middle of winter to order steel and they've already done a lot of steel work in the 3B concourse.

 

I just can't imagine where the red tape that held up the bleachers could come into play with ripping up concrete, replacing steel to more or less match the existing design, and pouring new concrete. How long did almost nothing seem to be going on once they had finished knocking down the bleachers in October?

 

I kinda figured this as well. Do we know how much stuff like expanding Wrigley into the street for the new bleachers had played into red-tape hold ups?

 

at the very least, expanding into the street held things up because the utility work didn't go as planned and took longer than expected...hard to say how much that delayed things.

[ctcf]

I wonder if they delayed buying steel due to concerns that something would come up that would halt construction (ie: Rooftop injunction, some Landmarks board vote, etc) and they'd just be left holding a ton of steel.

[Guest]

I wonder if they delayed buying steel due to concerns that something would come up that would halt construction (ie: Rooftop injunction, some Landmarks board vote, etc) and they'd just be left holding a ton of steel.

 

i think it was directly tied to the revisions and the subsequent approval process. the threat of an injunction, however limited, was still there when they ordered it.

[ctcf]

I wonder if they delayed buying steel due to concerns that something would come up that would halt construction (ie: Rooftop injunction, some Landmarks board vote, etc) and they'd just be left holding a ton of steel.

 

i think it was directly tied to the revisions and the subsequent approval process. the threat of an injunction, however limited, was still there when they ordered it.

 

I figured it was, but it's also possible they had a better picture as to how that would play out.

 

That said, the approval process is definitely the most likely culprit.

[ctcf]

Um

 

[Guest]

there's only like two more home stands of this [expletive] right? lol

[ctcf]

I hope no one moves that trash can.