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| Much of the Cubs' appeal is that Wrigley Field hasn't changed much from the days of this six-decade-old postcard |
No
street traffic. Sidewalks widened. Meant to encourage the idea of people
walking about from store to store, making that “great street” into something
the equivalent of a suburban mall?
IT
IS NOW regarded as one of the dumbest things ever done by the city in an
attempt to improve its character, and former Mayor Richard M. Daley made it a
priority to have it undone – turning the area around State and Madison streets
into normal streets once again.
And
improving the atmosphere on State Street significantly by returning it to its
original character.
It’s
obvious that some people don’t learn from past mistakes. Which seems to be the
case with regards to Wrigley Field.
For
Chicago Cubs officials have said they want a widening of the sidewalks in the
block of the ballpark along Clark and Addison streets. Also, the ball club
wants those two streets closed off to traffic on game days during the hours
leading up to, and following, ballgames.
WHICH
MAY BE only 81 games per year out of the 365-day calendar. But it would still
inflict significant damage upon the Lake View neighborhood as a whole – not just
the portion that likes to call itself Wrigleyville.
The
reality is that the more-than-a-century-old building, which the Cubs themselves
will celebrate the 100-year mark of playing in come this season, was built for
a different era and for much smaller crowds.
The
idea of cramming some 40,000 people per ballgame wasn’t something envisioned
back in the days when the Chicago Whales of old built the structure at Clark
and Addison (the Cubs back then were the West Side’s ball club).
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| Would Cubs really copy one of Chicago's redevelopment failures? Photograph provided by old-Chicago.tumblr.com |
So
I don’t doubt that the Cubs have a legitimate point when they say the current
structure isn’t really adequate for the number of people they’re cramming in to
see Cubs baseball.
BUT
I COULD see where such changes would have a negative impact on the neighborhood
itself. Bringing in all those people could further enhance the complaints of
Lake View neighborhood residents who already complain about Cubs fans who can’t
wait long enough to use a port-a-potty or a neighborhood tavern and instead
insist on using the alleys behind peoples’ homes for their bathroom needs.
And
while I’m sure the Cubs are sincere about their desires to accommodate their
crowds, the reality is that much of the reason the Cubs actually draw fans and
attract tourists to Wrigley Field is because people want to see its antique
character up-close.
The
changes being desired by the Cubs would turn Wrigley Field into a second-rate
version of any other stadium built during the past couple of decades.
I
say second-rate because the changes would be add-ons, instead of features that
were designed with the structure in mind.
SOMETIMES
I THINK the Cubs don’t appreciate the uniqueness of the facility they play in
and its ability to draw people and bolster attendance. If they did, would they
be so quick to ask for changes to the structure and its character?
Where
else do you see fans buying (and wearing) jerseys touting not the Cubs, but
Wrigley Field itself? Besides, so much of Wrigley Field’s character is based
off the way it fits into the existing neighborhood. If these kind of features
are needed, perhaps it is time to move on to a suburban site for a new stadium –
which I’m sure even the Cubs would view as a mistake.
So
as for this latest dispute, I’m not surprised to learn that neighborhood
activists are speaking out against the Cubs’ demands. These are, after all, the
descendants of people who for years fought against the Cubs being allowed to
install light towers on the building.
I
only hope that Mayor Rahm Emanuel and other city officials will feel enough
backbone to listen to the neighbors instead of caving in to team owners – which
is the stance that politicians everywhere usually wind up taking.
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