Wrigley Torn Up Once Again as Offseason Construction Cycle Continues

Normally a verdant oasis sitting smack in the middle of the rapidly developing neighborhood surrounding it, Wrigley Field has once again taken on the appearance of its new neighbors. Just as hotels and mixed-use entertainment complexes are springing forth from the marrow of Clark and Addison Streets, so too is the baseball Mecca undergoing another metamorphosis.

As the central fixture of the 1060 Project, Cubs ownership has been renovating and reshaping Wrigley over the past several seasons. New bathrooms, the Western Gate, the Park at Wrigley, bleacher overhauls, and moving the bullpens — not to mention several other items — have all been part of the last two winters of work.

Projects this offseason are highlighted by the addition of the American Airlines 1914 Club, an ultra-premium setup that includes 600 seats behind home plate and a club experience beneath those seats equipped with multiple bars and food options. There’ll also be members-only restrooms and a dedicated entrance beneath the marquee.

So that means I just need every one of you to click on every one of our ads and buy everything in each of them in order for me to split the cost of a ticket to one game (probably a weekday afternoon against the Reds). Sound good? Cool.

The Cubs are also continuing the structural improvements that have been underway for the last few years, replacing concrete and shoring up other areas of the century-old ballpark. They’ll be adding even more concessions and making improvements to the suite level as well. You may also notice that the dugouts will be shifted down the baselines just a bit, in part to accommodate the 1914 Club.

Here’s video of the ongoing construction (short photo gallery in link) from WGN’s SkyCam9:

This isn’t the last of the work, either. Next year will see them adding the Maker’s Mark Barrel Room, The W Club, and the Catalina Club, all of which are expected to be ready by Opening Day 2019. If you’re interested in joining the priority list for any of the new clubs, or if you just want to see what exactly they’re all about, check out cubspremier.com.

This whole renovation business was pretty harrowing last year, at least for those folks who were worried that the new sod wouldn’t be ready in time for the home opener. Here’s to hoping for another mild winter and speedy completion of the project.