Cubs release new renderings of plaza under construction outside Wrigley Field
It’s quite ambitious, as construction for a brand new plaza to the west of Wrigley Field is underway that will dramatically change the atmosphere and upgrade the facilities for which Cubs’ brass undertakes its day-to-day duties.
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Among those taking up shop in the plaza will be many of the Cubs offices, including where team president Theo Epstein and general manager Jed Hoyer will handle their business. There will be studio space for local media partners from CSN Chicago, WGN, ABC and CBS to record pre and postgame content. And there’s something in it for the players too, as the team will move to an updated and upgraded clubhouse that will be constructed under the renovated land.
Brett Taylor from Bleacher Nation has the full rundown of what the project entails. He also tweeted out new renderings released by the Cubs showing what the finished project will look like.
For those who don’t know or don’t recall, the plaza will be on the long-discussed triangle parcel of property to the west of the ballpark, which will now also be home to the Cubs’ subterranean clubhouse. The plaza will be an open-air space, used year-round for things like concerts, shows, farmer’s markets, the skating rink, etc. There will be retail and concession-type areas. And, of course, during the season, it’ll be a gathering place for Cubs fans – as the renderings hint, there should be large video screens in the plaza, too.
According to Cubs President of Business Operations Crane Kenney, the home clubhouse will be completed in plenty of time for opening day. The new office building at the north end of the plaza will also be completed at some point in 2016, with the expectation that several food, retail, entertainment-related tenants will be finalized in the next 12 months.
In many ways it’s similair to the Ballpark Village in St. Louis, which was opened prior to the 2014 season.
There’s no denying this sounds like a perfect set up for the Cubs on basically every level, not to mention a beautiful addition to the Wrigleyville landscape. But there’s also no denying it’s weird looking into the future of Wrigley Field and seeing something this extravagant.
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Wrigley Field was the very definition of an old school ballpark and atmosphere, but the Cubs also realize a major key to success is evolution. The Wrigley Field renovations capture that mindset, bringing the Cubs to the present while shaping their future. Most importantly though, they’ve done it while mostly preserving the crown jewel of the franchise’s history, Wrigley Field itself.
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Mark Townsend is a writer for Big League Stew on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter! Follow @Townie813
