According to a Thursday report from Bruce Levine on 670 The Score, Wrigley Field, the historic home of the Chicago Cubs, will host the MLB All-Star game in 2027. Wrigley Field will be 113 years old by the time it hosts the ’27 midsummer classic. The Cubs have not hosted an All-Star weekend since 1990 (but Chicago hosted it in 2003 when the White Sox had it).
Wrigley Field underwent dramatic renovations and restorations between 2016 and ’18, and in more recent years, areas around the ballpark have been the focus. That has included increased security in the area near the park, which is uniquely positioned inside the space of just one city block with residential and retail businesses a stone’s throw away from all sides.
“The final thing that the Chicago Cubs needed to do [after major renovations] for Major League Baseball and Major League Baseball security [to award them the All-Star game] is to get these bollards which are going to cost the Cubs, the city of Chicago and the State of Illinois $30 million to put up to be able to be the host and to have a secure, what Major League Baseball and their security feels is a secure ballpark for an event like the All-Star game,” Levine shared on the airwaves Thursday.
It sounds like that is largely expected to pass with the Cubs in line to be awarded the game officially this summer according to Levine’s reporting.
An ordinance was introduced by Alderman Bennett Lawson (44th Ward) to the Chicago City Council on Wednesday regarding the anti-terrorism grade bollards. The proposed ordinance will also seek to widen the Addison Street sidewalks on the north side of the stadium.
The city agreed to contribute up to $10 million, funded by the 2014 Cubs Fund for neighborhood improvements, according to the Chicago Sun-Times.
Part of the reasoning for the bollards is that the stadium is so close to streets that the city has not allowed the Cubs to shut down completely during events. In particular, Addison, which runs east-west, and Clark, which runs north-south—the two streets intersect with one another where the iconic marquee sign is—have remained open on game days. Both are collector roads that move high volumes of traffic toward arterial roads like Ashland Avenue, Irving Park Road, and Lake Shore Drive.
For past big events, like Big 10 hockey and the NHL Winter Classic earlier this year, stationary vehicles blocked streets and pedestrian areas, but the bollards are expected to be more permanent fixtures of security operations, if approved.
The Cubs already close down Waveland and Sheridan with Meridian Archer gates on game days as of the 2023 season. The city of Chicago utilizes Archer barriers at Wrigley on occasion, which are moved around the city as needed.
