WRIGLEYVILLE — Ice skaters, don't expect to glide near Wrigley Field this year.
The Cubs' annual Rink at Wrigley will not be returning this winter as the team aims to start construction, said spokesman Julian Green.
The Rink at Wrigley, a temporary ice skating rink in the triangle-shaped parking lot to the west of the ballpark, has popped up each winter since 2009, Green said. It is fully funded by Chicago Cubs Charities, Green said, and an average of nearly 10,000 people have used the rink each season, he said.
But for lovers of Lakeview skating, be patient — a more permanent rink will be coming as the team develops the area. The proposal for the triangle property included an open air plaza with a floor transforms into an ice rink in the winter.
An ice rink is "another example of our investment in the Lakeview community," Green said, "and how we can use this great asset outside the baseball season to enhance the quality of life here."
The Cubs and Wrigley Field are 95 percent owned by a trust established for the benefit of the family of Joe Ricketts, owner and CEO of DNAinfo.com. Joe Ricketts has no direct involvement in the management of the iconic team.
