Chicago Cubs unveil plans for a five-year, $300 million Wrigley Field renovation [Gallery]

Gamedayr | January 19, 2013 at 11:21 pm | 5 Comments

All photos courtesy Cosby Sweaters

The Chicago Cubs organization shocked fans at the team’s annual convention with the news of a planned renovation of Wrigley Field. One of the nation’s oldest and most iconic stadiums in any sport will be undergoing a five-year, $300 million and extremely necessary facelift.

After dealing with crumbling support structures over recent years and embarrassingly outdated locker rooms, Wrigley will not have to come down, but instead will be brought into the 21st century of baseball.

According to Cubs President of Business Operations Crane Kenney, via Cosby Sweaters, the construction is going to create an estimated 2,100 jobs and bring in $1.2 billion of new revenue for the city of Chicago and for the Cubs.

“We listened to you, and your love for this ballpark came through loud and clear,” Kenney said. “Your input was put into this ballpark, and what you see is the direction we’re heading.”

Kenney also touched on the subject of where the money, or part of it, may be coming from.

“In most ballparks, if you’re a publically funded facility like our friends on the South Side, there’s an amusement tax, Kenney said. “…If this is such an asset (to the community) and we’re being restricted, we need some help. If they want to treat us like the other 29 (privately owned) clubs, where we can play games whenever, have advertisements, the Rickets will be prepared to write the check.”

What will happen first — the completion of this five-year long project or a Cubs World Series win?

Well, at least the stadium looks like it’ll be really nice, North Siders.