Today, it appears that the Chicago Cubs are making good on their promises to mock up outfield signage so that the rooftop owners can see just how much their views into Wrigley Field will or will not be obstructed.
First, in a picture passed on by BN’er Jeremy, you can see the Cubs mocking up the JumboTron in left field:
Because of the angle and the curtain-ness of it, it’s hard to tell just how large the board is. Generally-speaking, though, this looks to be pretty much what we would have expected based on the pictures of the video board plans the Cubs have previously released. And, yes, that picture suggests the video board the Cubs want is massive.
Second, in a picture from the Wrigley Blog (and there are others you can check out there), you can see the Cubs’ mock up of the advertising sign in right field:
That FFFFFFFFFFFF company sure will be a success!
Once again, it’s hard to get a full sense of the sign without being there, and, more accurately, being up on a rooftop. But, then again, that’s what I’m guessing this process is all about: giving the rooftops a chance to see how much or how little they’ll be affected. I suspect we’ll hear more about the results soon.
Jeremy also noted that Owner and Chairman Tom Ricketts and Business President Crane Kenney are on hand for the process today. Clearly this is a big deal.
Although they haven’t said so explicitly, it’s a fair bet that the Cubs would like to have both signs up for the 2014 season. Getting the rooftops to sign off – although not necessarily strictly required since there is already a renovation deal in place with the Mayor and the Alderman, which includes outfield signage – could help ensure that timeline.
UPDATE: BN’er John was able to grab a picture from inside the park using the Cubs’ Wrigley Field cam, which gives you a good sense of how large the mock-up is:
Pretty much the same size as the renderings the Cubs released – maybe a touch taller and less wide. Looks like a small portion of the left field outfield will be obscured to a rooftop in left center, and it’s possible that a portion of the right field outfield will be obscured to a rooftop in left. It’s hard to tell for sure from the pictures, but, either way, it doesn’t look like a ton of obstruction. The Cubs might be playing around with the heights and widths today, which would explain the curtains (instead of a hard form factor). With cranes in tow, the Cubs can try lots of different shapes to see what works best.