It’s been an ongoing proposal between the Ricketts family – owners of the Chicago Cubs – and the city of Chicago. A renovation to Wrigley Field was needed, hopefully to revive a long-ailing baseball team, and to help bring in more profit for the team and its owners. How that renovation was going to be accomplished, what was going to be done, and who was going to pay for it were all up for debate. And now, the proposal has been finalized, the details have been ironed out, and a deal has been made.

The deal between the Chicago Cubs and the city allows Cubs chairman, Tom Ricketts, to start on a $500 million renovation to Wrigley Field that will keep the park open longer; and give it a much-needed facelift. One of the focal points of the deal is a 6,000 square foot video screen that will sit atop the bleachers at centerfield; as well as a 1,000 square foot sign in left field. Both of these are not to just provide for better spectator viewing, but also to allow the Cubs to advertise more and bring in more revenue. To the same end, the renovations will also allow Wrigley Field to host 40 night games there a year, instead of the current 30.

Not one tax dollar is being used to fund the project, and that was one of the biggest points of contention that held the project up.

Another was the rooftop patios that surround the field, and business owners that are angry about renovations that may block the view and therefore, hurt their business. They’ve even threatened to sue if that should happen; although the team has issued a statement saying that patios will be “largely preserved.”

Are you excited about the Wrigley Field renovations? Do you think it will help revive the Cubs?