Wrigley Field Project
Gem's Upgrade Brings Bleacher Bums' Bliss
by Craig Barner Detractors like
to chide fans of the Chicago Cubs for misplaced loyalty.
It has been 98
years since the ballclub on the city's North Side won a World Championship and
61 years since it gained the National League Pennant.
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Yet, fans keep coming back to watch the team in blue pinstripes
in part because its home is Wrigley Field, the 92-year-old gem that is the second-oldest
ballpark in Major League Baseball after only Boston's Fenway Park. For some, the
two fields are shrines of authenticity because of the graceful sports architecture
and distinctive urban feel.
Cub executives hope fans cheer the completed
$13.5 million bleacher renovation that was under way during the most recent off-season.
The 2006 baseball campaign at Wrigley started on April 7 with a 5-1 Cub victory
over the St. Louis Cardinals.
Aesthetics and circulation were improved,
said Mark McGuire, executive vice president of business operations of the Cubs.
Restroom fixtures and concessions stands have increased in number, and revenue-generating
enhancements include the new Batter's Eye Lounge and the expansion of the bleachers.
With
more money, the Cubs could lure the players to end the post-season championship
draught.
Along the same lines, a sign at the center field gate proclaims
the Bud Light
Bleachers because the Cubs sold the naming rights to the
area for less than $1 million a year.
"I think the design achieved
what we set out to achieve," McGuire said. "That's the one thing with
our fans: We'll know soon what they think."
Capacity Above 40,000 Fans There will be more fans to opine about the changes
because capacity went up 1,783 seats for a maximum count of about 41,300 fans.
Over the course of a season, about 145,000 more paying customers can fit into
the park than in previous years.
New are about 1,594 bench seats, 253 box
seats, 100 wheelchair seats and 62 seats in the lounge, McGuire said.
The
key change was the extension of the bleachers, said Mark Palmer, associate principal
of Kansas City, Mo.-based HOK Sport + Venue + Event. They cantilever over the
sidewalks fronting Waveland and Sheffield avenues between 5 and 15 ft., depending
on the location.
"The Cubs' purchasing of 8 ft. of public right-of-way
and allowing the columns to move out reduced the cantilever considerably,"
he added.
The cantilever covers about half the width of the sidewalks along
Sheffield and Waveland.
Inside, the park has increased at street level
about 5,300 sq. ft. Because of the enhancement, a concourse is beneath the bleachers
for the first time ever, and a 360-degree concourse is also a first.
"Before,
they had a circulation path on the Waveland side, but it was for service functions,"
Palmer added. "Now, this ties into the concourse of the ballpark."
A
side benefit is that during rain delays, the bleacher bums can shelter in the
concourse, rather than squeezing beneath the scoreboard or standing on ramps.
Also
because of the greater amount of space, the bleachers have a 13,800-sq.-ft. patio
in the back, another first. Batter's Eye Lounge Up The Batter's
Eye Lounge, the other important addition, is located in the lower-center-field
area of the bleachers closed to fans for decades because light-colored clothing
often interfered with the batter's sight.
To avoid being a hindrance, the
lounge was painted the same familiar Wrigley Field dark green as the seats and
has glazing that from the field looks black. Inside, the glazing is transparent,
and the lounge provides a close-to-the-field view of the action.
The facility
can be leased for private events while a game is being played.
A portion
of the old lower center field bleachers were demolished, and the back of the outfield
wall was fully braced, said Dave Puls, project manager for Turner Construction
Co. in Chicago, the general contractor.
"We had to deal with the new
structure and maintain the integrity of the old structures, including the existing
brick walls, columns and scoreboard structure," he added.
Surgical
skill was required of the construction crews. Only about 25 to 30 ft. of space
for the new construction separated the back of brick walls from the existing
structure.
The steel forming the lounge's foundations and structure was
set from the street to avoid damaging Wrigley's outfield. A 120-ton crane was
used to reach over the famous scoreboard.
Another Wrigley first is wheelchair
seating in two different bleacher locations, in shade above the Batter's Eye Lounge
or unshaded in right field. An elevator was installed at the gate mainly to move
wheelchair users and their companions.
Fourteen points were added for food,
beverage and merchandise sales, and some of the concessions stands have full menus.
Previously, only limited menus were available in the bleachers because of the
lack of space for food preparation.
Restroom capacity doubled. The number
of fixtures for women went up 140 percent, to 36, and the number for men increased
72 percent, to 50.
Other improvements included a larger camera hut for
broadcasting than before, additional TVs for fans and new sound system. Polishing
the Gem A number of aesthetic elements were incorporated to mesh with Wrigley's
charming appearance.
For example, the previous wood-slat center-field gate
had started to look almost derelict but was replaced with a handsome cast-iron
fence.
"The idea was to bring daylight and openness and create a kind
of entry plaza," HOK's Palmer added.
Brick pavers were installed to
form the new sidewalks on Waveland and Sheffield, and the new exterior wall is
traditional Wrigley Field red. Ivy will be planted on the exterior wall to mimic
the famed ivy inside.
"The idea was to make it blend in as much as
possible and not be something that stuck out," Palmer said.
An opening
in the wall along Sheffield will allow passers-by to see into Wrigley during game
day, though a shade cloth will cover the opening, the Cubs' McGuire said.
Looking
ahead, a multipurpose facility to allow for more retail and restaurants is in
permit review for the parking lot west of the stadium. The initial cost estimates
are higher than expected.
"We're trying to make the finances come
together," McGuire said. "If it all falls together, we'd start it at
the end of this season."
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