Build With Strength: Wrigley Field Stands Test of Time

CHICAGO, Ill. – Build With Strength, a coalition of the National Ready Mixed Concrete Association, continued the efforts to inform Chicago, Illinois’ design, build and code communities by releasing a new infographic highlighting a true icon of American strength and durability – the Chicago Cubs’ Wrigley Field.

Opened in 1914 along Addison Street on Chicago’s north side, Wrigley Field, aka The Friendly Confines, a phrase made popular by legendary Hall of Famer Ernie “Mr. Cub” Banks, is one of the oldest Major League Baseball stadiums, second to only Boston’s Fenway Park. The stadium, consisting of 45,200 cubic feet of concrete weighing a whopping 6.5 million pounds, was built to last for generations. It has.

The concrete contained within has withstood a century of Chicago’s wind and frozen winters, yet the one constant every year has been Cubs baseball come spring.
“Wrigley Field is at the top or very close to the top of many baseball fans’ bucket list,” said Kevin Lawlor of Build With Strength. “Whether you’re a fan of the game, Americana or architecture, the friends leaves visitors with an overwhelming sense of history.”

Known for its reluctance to change to the point of local pride (Wrigley was the last stadium to host night games, playing under lights for the first time in 1988), the team’s owners decided to renovate the stadium following the 2014 season, replacing concrete, adding new seats, updating facilities and more. Although there was initial outcry from purists over the planned multi-year renovations to the historic landmark, the stadium has maintained its charm.

“Even if you’re a White Sox fan, it’s hard to deny Wrigley Field is a special place,” continued Lawlor. “With a strong foundation made from concrete, there’s no telling how long the Cubs will call the Friendly Confines home.”

Learn more at www.buildwithstrength.com.