WRIGLEYVILLE — Cubs fans who haven't ventured to Wrigley Field since the 2016 playoffs will be in for a surprising change of scenery if they make it to one of this year's postseason games.
Multiple large-scale developments have either been completed or have made some serious progress over the last year, bringing massive buildings to the neighborhood and changing the face of Wrigleyville.
Here are the biggest changes you'll notice:
The Park at Wrigley opened in April. [DNAinfo/Angela Myers]
The Park at Wrigley
On April 10, before the Cubs' 2017 season home opener, the long-awaited Park at Wrigley was unveiled. It had been four years since the Ricketts family, which bought the Cubs and Wrigley Field in 2009, pitched the idea of a town square-esque plaza on the west edge of the ballpark. Initially set to become a parking garage, the area instead now offers family movie nights, a summer farmers market, away game viewings and more.
Despite an ongoing, hard-fought battle with the city and 44th Ward Ald. Tom Tunney, the Park at Wrigley is subject to some restrictions: On game days and during concerts at the ballpark, only ticket holders can be in the park, and only 12 special events with alcohol sales are allowed per year.
Nevertheless, postseason events at the park include away game viewings, a screening of the Pearl Jam documentary "Let's Play Two" and classical music concerts. Learn more about the Park and Wrigley and its upcoming events online.
Lucky Dorr has a rotating selection of craft beer from around Chicago that are served from 20 taps. [Provided/FolkArt Management]
New Bars and Restaurants
In addition to the plaza itself, the Park at Wrigley brought a massive development project that now houses shop, bars and restaurants just steps from the ballpark.
The Budweiser Brickhouse Tavern is a sprawling, multilevel restaurant featuring four bars, two outdoor terraces and a layout that allows 900 customers a view of the ballpark's triangle-shaped plaza while they dine. The restaurant has sports memorabilia encased and on display, including a zigzag wall installation made of baseball bats.
Lucky Dorr is a bar and restaurant with an emphasis on local craft beer. It hosts weekly Brewers' Nights, featuring visits from local brewers who talk to customers about their beer, and its food menu showcases some ballpark favorites, including pretzels and other salty snacks designed for beer pairing.
Starbucks also has a new home in the Park at Wrigley, along with various shops, like a Cubs Store, Jostens Jewelry Store and Trophy Room presented by Motorola.
The Hotel Zachary is a 238,000-square-foot development that will feature multiple restaurants. [DNAinfo/Jessica Cabe]
The Hotel Zachary
At this time last year, renderings of the Hotel Zachary had just been released, but there was no building at all until spring of this year. Now, the renderings are quickly becoming reality.
"We are almost fully enclosed, which is an exciting thing in the construction world, and we're systematically building out our rooms on floors 3-6," said Eric Nordness, senior vice president of Hickory Street Capital, the Ricketts family-owned development company behind the project.
The idea behind the hotel was to create a sense of community only found in Chicago.
“The goal of our development is to create a town hub, where families, fans and visitors find entertainment, great food and daily attractions in an urban park setting," said Crane Kenney, chairman of Hickory Street Capital and president of Cubs business operations, in an interview last year.
The hotel will be home to national chains like the returning McDonald's that was demolished to make room for the development, but its focus is on beloved Chicago restaurants, including West Town Bakery, Big Star and Smoke Daddy.
Hotel Zachary is slated to open in April of next year.
The Addison & Clark development will feature a bowling alley, movie theater, restaurants and more. [DNAinfo/Jessica Cabe]
Addison & Clark
During the 2016 playoffs, the new Addison & Clark development was essentially a hole in the ground, noted Tony Rossi, president of M&R Development.
"A year ago at this time, we were still in the ground," Rossi said. "We had a wire fence surrounding the property, and that was about it.
"Now we're pouring portions of the sixth floor," he continued. "It's going to be an eight-story building, so we're almost topped out."
Now, Cubs fans will navigate around the development with concrete barricades and a covered walkway.
The $140 million transit-oriented development should be completed next summer, and commercial tenants so far include a CMX movie theater, Lucky Strike bowling alley, Harley Davidson and Shake Shack. Addison & Clark will feature 148 apartments and 150,000 square feet of retail space.
The Cubs and Wrigley Field are 95 percent owned by an entity controlled 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.
