It's always entertaining when the Cubs go to the Landmarks Commission with more changes to be presented in the Wrigley Field restoration plan. The result is never really in doubt, as Mayor Rahm Emanuel has, if in not these exact words, told the commission that these things are going to be approved. But as Danny Ecker of Crain's notes:
Groundhog Day here at City Hall, where the Cubs are presenting changes to Wrigley Field to the landmarks panel for the 4th time in 18 mos.
— Danny Ecker (@DannyEcker) December 4, 2014
Ecker reported on Twitter the following changes, some of which had already leaked out earlier today:
- The left-field video board will be moved 30 feet closer to center field (some earlier reports said the move would be in the other direction)
- There will be two elevators added in the bleachers, in left field and right field (in addition to the center-field elevator which already exists). This is to comply with ADA regulations. Ecker's tweet seemed to indicate there will be two elevators on each side, but that seems a bit much. As a result of the elevators, there will be "a slight reduction" in the number of rows of seats.
- The height of the new outfield light towers will be raised to above the grandstand roof level. However, the renderings appear to show them lower than that.
- The public comment session was amusing. One tweet had a resident reading "a version of Humpty Dumpty" to the commissioners.
But here's another tweet I find most interesting. "Moore" refers to rooftop attorney Tom Moore, who was speaking during the public comment session:
Moore says Cubs prez Crane Kenney told rooftop owners after July meeting that he could now block their views and put them out of business.
— Danny Ecker (@DannyEcker) December 4, 2014
This is what I had originally thought when I saw the five added signs that were in the renderings released back in May. The changes made to the signage plan appear in some ways to move signage out of the way of rooftop buildings owned by George Loukas and rumored to be purchased by the Ricketts family. This shouldn't surprise you.
Anyway, Ecker reported that the Cubs' plan was approved -- with one dissenting vote, that of Commissioner (and former 48th Ward Alderman) Mary Ann Smith, who, Ecker tweeted, "wanted the Cubs to disclose their revenue." You can imagine that's not going to happen.
This might not be the last time the Cubs come before the Landmarks Commission, either, nor will it likely be the last time changes are made to the Wrigley plan. Check this out:
Cubs' Mike Lufrano notes that Fenway went through 40 different changes before completed.
— Fran Spielman (@fspielman) December 4, 2014
As always, we await further developments.
Click here for a larger version of the left-field rendering above, and here for a larger version of the right-field rendering above. You'll notice they're not from the same "game," as the Cubs are facing the Cardinals in the left-field rendering, but the Nationals in the right-field rendering -- although there's a Cardinals lineup on the video board in the right-field rendering, while the scoreboard in center field says "WASHINGTON." And, while that Cardinals lineup is more-or-less one of their regular lineups from 2014... the Cubs' lineup on that board is a bit more interesting.
There's one last thing about the right-field rendering that strikes me as wrong. Take a look at where the "EAMUS CATULI" building and the building with the Miller Lite billboard are located. Those buildings should be positioned behind the last section of the right-field bleachers, not behind the video board -- and the "Down The Line Rooftop" building, shown here on the foul side of the right-field foul pole, is in reality on the fair side of that pole. I think the buildings in the right-field rendering aren't positioned properly.