Bleacher Reconstruction Update - April 2

by Al Yellon on Apr 2, 2006 12:58 PM CDT in 2005-06 Bleacher Reconstruction Project

Since David took the current photos (Saturday afternoon), I'll let him fill you in on what was going on -- here's what he emailed me:

I went up to the EL station. The benches have been installed in the left field bleachers. It is the only section I could see. The beer shack survives. It is now in place, in right center field, on the new rear walkway. The front of the shack is now facing Sheffield. The purple fire hydrant, on Waveland and Kenmore, is no more. It has been repainted fire engine red. Workers were cleaning up the new brick sidewalk, on the Waveland Ave. side. They were sweeping and using air blowers to make everything tidy. They must be getting close.

There was much activity elsewhere too. The concession workers were there for their training and orientation session. They are still installing fencing, somewhere in the seating area. Cranes were lifting sections of fencing, into the bleachers on the Sheffield Ave side. On the Waveland Ave side, there is a section of the walkway fencing that hasn't been installed. They were using cranes, to lift shrubbery thru the open gap in the fence.

The timeline has also been updated.

Top: new upper level, above the bleacher entrance. Note the "Frozen Drinks" sign, to the right of the elevator; bleacher entrance, viewed from across the street; view from the CTA Addison St. L station. Note that the new benches are visible in left field; new bleacher entrance.

Middle: view looking north, down Sheffield Ave. Note new speakers being installed, at the top of the photo; view of the new stairwell, in the left field corner; view of the new "deluxe" television camera shack, in center field. Photo taken from Waveland Ave; new bleacher entrance.

Bottom: for a change, something old. The return of the beer shack, now located on the new walkway, behind right-center field; view of new fencing material, still being delivered; area around the peephole gate, in the right field corner. Note the bricks still being laid, in the new sidewalk; view of the new knothole gate; view of the right field corner, looking north.

Photos by David Sameshima

David also notes:

I did take some close-up photos, of the beer shack, but I went with the wider shot to better illustrate its new location. I can already imagine the comments from BCB readers. Will it offer Old Style, or will it be exclusively Bud Light?

Bonus! David's friend Donna went with him yesterday, and so here are four shots of "the photographer at his craft":

Photos by Donna Wakefield

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Comments

AHHHHH

I want to see so badly and the links to the pics aint workin! Is it my computer???

Anyone can have a bad century...

by Kinky Reggae on Apr 2, 2006 12:36 PM CDT reply actions

Try again...

... I was working on this post when you commented, I had meant to "hide" it until I was finished!

There, now you know a little BCB secret.

by Al Yellon on Apr 2, 2006 12:59 PM CDT up reply actions

AHA

Things are lookin good! I am confused about the green wall in what I think is Left field. Also about the beer shack facing out?? Wow, thinga are different. Not sure any amount of prettiness can make one not miss the old school bleacher though...I guess we'll see. Oh sorry, the bud light bleachers...yech.

Anyone can have a bad century...

by Kinky Reggae on Apr 2, 2006 1:04 PM CDT reply actions

What green wall?

I think you're talking about the TV camera shack.

by Al Yellon on Apr 2, 2006 1:18 PM CDT up reply actions

The descript. for last few pictures aren't right?

The 2nd to last picture looks like the knothole, and the last one is most definitely NOT left field corner:-)

"...Someday we'll look back on this and it will all seem funny"

by Speedywheels on Apr 2, 2006 1:40 PM CDT up reply actions

Yeah maybe that is what I meant

Pretty different there huh?

Anyone can have a bad century...

by Kinky Reggae on Apr 2, 2006 1:50 PM CDT up reply actions

Whoops!

I copied/pasted David's descriptions as emailed to me. I guess I did them out of order!

They should be fixed now.

by Al Yellon on Apr 2, 2006 1:52 PM CDT up reply actions

Love the green metalwork

I love the new bleacher entrance and the other green metal doors (Waveland side).
Looks really classy.
Thanks once again, David and Al!

"Respect the game above all else." - Ryne Sandberg, July 31, 2005, Cooperstown, NY

by Tom @ Bleed Cubbie Blue on Apr 2, 2006 1:44 PM CDT reply actions

Everything looks nice

I guess they were right about being right on schedule. It's looks like they are doing mostly poliching from here on out.

by JonH on Apr 2, 2006 2:07 PM CDT reply actions

Cement Slabs

Looking at how the red brick goes right up to the cement slabs, I'm guessing that there is no plan to remove them.

DmL

by dmlichte on Apr 2, 2006 2:19 PM CDT reply actions

mutliple comments.

I really like the gating in the right and left field corners by the stairwells. I also like the way that knothole is looking though I shudder to think of what it will look like on gameday when they cover it up. I also like the new entrance a lot more than the old one. I did a side by side comparison and it definitely looks a lot better. Lastly, I think its weird that the staircase in the rightfield corner goes over the wall, but in leftfield it's tucked nicely behind the wall. The rightfield corner looks a little off because of that.

AC 00 00 00 - BELIEVE

by mike @ Bleed Cubbie Blue on Apr 2, 2006 4:06 PM CDT reply actions