The famed bleacher seats at Chicago’s Wrigley Field have been torn down as a $577 million renovation project continues in the Windy City.
The bleachers are to be rebuilt, adding 300 seats in left and right fields. More concessions stands and other features will also be added to improve the stadium.
Many of the bricks in portions of the famous ivy-covered wall were saved to be replaced once the main construction is done. But demolition left much of the ivy wall untouched.
The Chicago Cubs received permission from the city in July to begin its ambitious renovation program dubbed “1060 Project.” The team held the ground breaking for the project during the first week of October.
The bleacher seats have a long and storied history for Chicago Cubs fans, becoming a cultural touchstone for many. The bleachers even spawned a stage play named “Bleacher Bums” that starred such famed actors as Joe Mantegna, Dennis Franz, and George Wendt.
A Twitter feed was set up to follow the renovations. It features numerous photos of the work being done and will chronicle the effort as crews rush to finish their work by the regular-season opener next April.
Follow Warner Todd Huston on Twitter @warnerthuston or email the author at igcolonel@hotmail.com
Photo credit: Twitter/Wrigley Renovations
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