Wrigley Field bleachers will not be ready for Opening Night

With hype surrounding the Chicago Cubs at its highest point in recent memory, one facet of the organization will not be ready for the big-time starting the 2015 regular season: the Wrigley Field bleachers.

According to Crane Kenney, the Cubs’ president of business operations. construction delays and poor weather conditions prevented the team from hitting its initial goal of completing construction ahead of the early April target.

"“It was going to be a very tight schedule,” he said. “We were hopeful we could maybe find some time in the process. We didn’t find the time. We were hoping the steel delivery date might get moved up, (but) it didn’t.”"

This year is the first of the multi-year Wrigley Field renovation project, focusing largely around the bleachers. The old bleachers have been removed and new infrastructure work is being completed ahead of the installation of the new seating – which increases overall attendance in the outfield section to roughly 5,500.

The renovation also will include the addition of two elevators – one each in left and right field, respectively. According to Kenney, the controversial left field video board that drew ire from rooftop owners will be ready ahead of Opening Night against the St. Louis Cardinals.

The right field scoreboard will be completed around the same time as the bleachers – likely by late May. Despite the delays and subsequent inconveniences that fans would experience this season, Kenney said the team could not wrap its mind around moving early season home games to another venue – such as Miller Park.

"“We just couldn’t get comfortable telling everyone to relocate to Milwaukee,” said Kenney, who reiterated that the home games would remain at Wrigley despite the delays."

Per the organization, the time needed for the concrete to cure will be the largest setback to hitting the initial timetable for completion. Furthermore, delays in the ordering of steel for the new bleachers pushed back the timetable.

Displaced season ticket holders will have multiple options for the games the seats won’t be ready.

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