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One of the things fans complain about most regarding the concourse at Wrigley Field is how jammed it can get when the game ends. One of the main reasons for this is the location of exits; there's a large one at the corner of Clark and Addison; another, smaller one at the east end near Addison and Sheffield, and a still smaller one at the northwest corner, across from the firehouse on Waveland.
There is, however, no entrance nor exit on the west side of Wrigley Field. That's all going to change if the Cubs complete their planned renovations to the ballpark; I posted some of the architectural drawings in this post last week.
Now, the Cubs have released some renderings that show that entrance (although not in detail; you can see a bit of the detail in the above link), along with much more detail on what will go on the triangle property. Please note that these are concept renderings and what will actually be constructed could be significantly different. The drawing at the top of this post shows the area during winter, when the skating rink that has been there the last few winters will continue; here's another look showing a possible summer farmer's market (click on the image to open a larger version in a new browser window:
The Tribune has more details:
The gate was not included in the Cubs' application for approval. It will be added after the design is complete, according to the Cubs. The new gate would rival the iconic entry at Clark and Addison streets and would be central to the Cubs' plans for the area around the ballpark. In addition to the hotel and pedestrian bridge, those plans include a new office and retail structure. The triangular plaza along Clark Street would include video screens and advertising obelisks.
Slowly, this plan is coming together. It still has to be approved by the City Council and I would expect there will be more changes to the detailed proposal put forth by chairman Tom Ricketts at his April 15 news conference. The team still hopes to begin construction this upcoming offseason.