Wrigley Field Renovation Plans Approved

Chicago Cubs’ Wrigley Field is set to be renovated after the City Council approved a $500 million redevelopment of the historic ballpark, according to a report from the Associated Press. 

The upgrades will include a 5,700-square-foot electronic Jumbotron, improved facilities for the 99-year-old park and a hotel across the street. The Jumbotron, which will be located in left field above the ivy-covered walls, will be approximately three times the size of the manual scoreboard currently situated in center field.

The team, which was bought by the Ricketts family in 2009, had initially sought funding for the project from the public but after that plan failed, the front office decided that the franchise would fund the entire renovation on its own. An additional large advertising sign to be placed in left field will help generate revenue to pay for the project, said the report.

According to the Chicago Tribune, “The owners plan to spend $300 million for renovations to the historic ballpark and an additional $200 million on neighborhood development including the hotel at Clark and Addison streets.”

On Tuesday, a day before the city council cast the final vote, Chicago’s zoning board had also approved the $500 million plan. 

The park has been standing since 1914, and the Cubs have been playing at Wrigley for the past 97 years.

Brand expert and director for brandRapport, Nigel Currie highlighted the unique history of the stadium and said the stadium should have been developed earlier.

Speaking exclusively to iSportconnect, Currie said: “It’s an overdue development for this legendary stadium.  Wrigley Field is reported to be the first Stadium in the world to use a commercial brand as its name.

“There were a couple of other (corporate) examples before this but Wrigley was the first FMCG brand used and it became fairly commonplace in the USA after that.”

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