A Mini-Wrigley Field May Pop Up on North Side
The public and other CPS teams will get a chance to play too
Getty Images
CHICAGO - MAY 16: A general view of Wrigley Field as the Chicago Cubs take on the Houston Astros on May 16, 2009 in Chicago, Illinois. The Cubs defeated the Astros 5-4. (Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images)
A scaled-down version of Wrigley Field may soon pop up a few miles down the road.
The Chicago Cubs and the Chicago Park District are mapping out plans for the proposed $2 million baseball stadium near Lane Tech High School.
“There really is no first-class, world-class high school baseball stadium on the North Side of the city. And this is in our backyard,” Mike Lufrano, vice president of community affairs for the Cubs told the Chicago Sun-Times.
The stadium would literally be a mini Wrigley with ivy-covered brick walls, a Wrigley-style roofline and a turf field. A similar replica opened last year in Humboldt Park for Little Leaguers to use.
Ald. Eugene Schulter (47th) is heading the project and says the field will be a huge benefit for Lane Tech.
“They’ve been in several state championships, but they had no stadium to play in. When they compete with the suburbs, it’s very embarrassing to the Board of Education,” Schulter told the Sun-Times.
Lufrano said the new stadium would be the home field for Lane Techand will be used by surroundings schools, too.
The land was purchased by the city in 2008 with proceeds from the local tax increment financing district. Construction is likely to begin next year assuming all fund-raising goals are met.
Copyright SunTimes
Posted Saturday, Jan 30, 2010 - 11:21 AM CST
