WRIGLEYVILLE — Driving to Opening Day at Wrigley Field? Lucky for you, parking is "free ninety-nine," said Julian Green, Cubs vice president of communication and community affairs.
The free parking will be at the remote parking lot at 3900 N. Rockwell St. off Irving Park Road, but a shuttle will take visitors to Wrigley Field and run every 10-15 minutes for two hours before and after Sunday's game against the St. Louis Cardinals.
"Nowhere else in baseball can you get free parking. If you've come to Wrigley Field for a game over the years, parking can always be a challenge. Obviously, it's compounded because of the construction going on," Green said.
With two parking lots (blue and brown) unavailable this season and two more gone forever (the plaza and team clubhouse will be replacing the red and purple lots), there are 400 fewer parking spots at the baseball park. Alternative travel options like the CTA or bicycling (there's are bike valet at the ballpark) are highly encouraged, Green said.
Parking lots that are available include the green lot, 1126 W. Grace St., and the Irving lot, 1052 Irving Park Road. Parking at those lots costs between $20-40 and is also offered to season parking holders, the Cubs said.
While construction will continue through the 2015 season, Green said fans coming to Wrigley Field Sunday will still recognize their beloved ballpark.
"I was just in there yesterday, and the field looks great. Of course, it's still early in the spring, so the ivy is not green yet, but the ivy's on the brick wall, and that remains in tact," Green said.
There will also be a special tribute to Ernie Banks — 1,200-square-foot panels showcasing his career at Wrigley Field in "an amazing display," Green said.
As for the left field video board, "it's lit, it's hot, it's ready to go," Green said. The final panel in the 56-panel video board was installed Wednesday afternoon, and the team has been testing the video board in the days leading up to Opening Night.
The bleacher concourse will be blocked off until the bleachers are ready for customers — still slotted for May 11 and mid-June — and renovation crews will continue work through the season.
Bleacher construction fell behind schedule after a cold winter. While the Cubs initially sought to make up the lost time with 24/7 construction leading up to Opening Day, the city nixed the plan. The team rushed to accommodate bleacher ticket holders with alternative options until the bleachers are accessible.
Green said construction will stop during home games, but "when the team is not playing or goes away, we'll aggressively be trying to accelerate our schedule."
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