Wrigley Field has been the home of the Chicago Cubs since 1916. The park was build in 1914 at a cost of $250,000. It currently seats just over 40,000 people. It is the second oldest ballpark in Major League Baseball, just behind Fenway Park which opened in 1912. Wrigley Field is one of the most iconic sports venues in the World. So naturally it is constantly at the center of debates of how to change it for the better.
Andrew Ziola who runs a website devoted to building a public park in Wrigleyville across from the famous ballpark. Andrew’s idea goes in contrast to what the Cubs and City of Chicago have agreed upon, a project called the Triangle building. The purpose of the Triangle building is to provide to more revenue generation opportunities for the ball club, by building restaurants and other stores that would be accessible by fans throughout the year.
I think we know which concept has won; the writing is already on the wall that the Cubs will build the Triangle building. It’s just a matter of when the new Cubs ownership kicks in the money to start the project. Something the Tribune’s architecture critic, Blair Kamin, has said the Cubs need to do right away. Someone just needs to break the bad news to Mr. Ziola.
I applaud Ziola for pushing forward a different concept, one that is more earth friendly and therefore greener than the alternative. One that will obviously do more for the residents of Wrigleyville, who could get year round use out of a park. But the problem with his ideas is that the Cubs and city are most interested in is the green that comes on dollar bills. They need to develop the land across from Wrigley into the Triangle in order to house some of the amenities that many other modern stadiums can incorporate into their building. Wrigley Field is a historic monument, so that limits the scope of changes that can be made to the structure. There is no way to have the restaurants and shops unless the Cubs convert the parking lot across the street. So it truly is the right decision for the Cubs to build the Triangle. A park would be great, but unfortunately it cannot generate the revenue that a retail development can. That’s just the world we live in and money helps make the world go round.
You can follow Andrew Ziola’s quest on Twitter (@wrigleyfield4u). Follow BrandDunk on Twitter (@BrandDunk).
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