Wrigley Field is undergoing some major changes this offseason. The second oldest ballpark in the majors has experienced some structural issues in recent years, and now was the time for the Chicago Cubs to finally bring the park into the 21st century.
Fans got their first look at what that means Wednesday.
Overall, though, construction has not gone as smoothly. Concerns over whether the bleachers would be ready for the regular season started back in November. After a combination of cold temperatures, snow and strong winds put the construction team behind schedule, the club admitted in January that the bleachers would not be completed by opening day.
The left field bleachers could be completed by May, according to the Chicago Sun Times. The right field bleachers likely won't be finished until June. The team is considering covering the unfinished bleachers with a tribute to Ernie Banks, who died during the offseason. Those plans have not been finalized yet.
The issues with construction extend past this season. Team chairman Tom Ricketts recently announced that the entire project will likely take an extra year to complete. The entire renovation was initially expected to be finished by the start of the 2018 season. Now, it appears 2019 is the more likely target, according to the Sun Times.
“There will be four more years,” Ricketts said Wednesday after speaking at a City Club of Chicago luncheon. “The way we project it now is four more years of construction.”
Dennis Culloton, a spokesman for Ricketts, confirmed Wednesday evening that the project could very well bleed into a fifth offseason, one more than the original plan.
“That could still be the way it works out,” Culloton said of the original four-phase plan. “But it could take longer. Just take this winter for example, and we have found not only the problem with the weather but the water pipes that we had no control over. It could be four years, it could be five. It’s hard to say.”
The Cubs are currently in the middle of the first of four offseason phases of construction. The bleachers were a major part of phase one. Phase two will include a new home clubhouse, bullpens and an outdoor plaza.
The third phase will include renovations to the visitors clubhouse, as well as a new umpires' room and improvements to the luxury suites. The final phase will focus on the press box and a new hotel.
Those improvements were set to be completed each offseason, leading the team to initially project a four-year plan for the entire project. With construction already behind, it's easy to see why Ricketts is concerned the project could extend into a fifth year.
With that said, the Cubs will still open the season Sunday at home against the St. Louis Cardinals. While some fans will be without seats, at least the new video board will be operational for opening night.
Things went pretty well for the team off the field this offseason, it's the state of the actual field that has fans concerned now.
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