Since buying the Chicago Cubs baseball team and Wrigley Field in 2009, the Ricketts family has worked to improve the stadium and nearby areas. The 1060 Project, named after Wrigley Field's Addison Street address, was planned to cost $575 million and would be completed in four steps during each off-season in a row. Money for the project came from advertising income and more corporate sponsorships, which included adding extra signs inside and around the stadium.

History

In January 2013, during the Cubs Convention, a plan was announced to repair and upgrade the stadium using $575 million from private sources. The project would take five years to complete. Improvements would include fixing the stadium's outside appearance, restrooms, walkways, suites, press box, bullpens, and clubhouses. New features would be added, such as restaurants, outdoor areas, batting tunnels, a large video screen covering 5,700 square feet (530 square meters), and a nearby hotel, plaza, and office and retail complex.

After many months of talks between the team, local official Tom Tunney, and Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel, the city's Landmarks Commission and Plan Commission supported the plan. The Chicago City Council officially approved it in July 2013.

Funding

Increased advertising signs inside and around the park help pay for the four parts of the renovation. Before the renovation started, most rooftop club owners near the stadium believed the signs would block their view and cause them to lose business.

Before 1980, rooftops gave people a good view of Cubs games and were places where people gathered to watch for free. Since the viewers were building residents, only a few dozen people watched from rooftops or windows, sitting on a few folding chairs, there was little effect on the Cubs' business. When the Cubs became more popular in the 1980s, formal seating areas began to appear, and building owners started charging for entry. Cubs management worried about losing money and controlling their rights. In 2002, the Cubs sued several rooftops for copyright infringement. In 2004, 11 of the 13 rooftops agreed to a settlement, paying 17% of their total income in exchange for official recognition until 2023. After reaching an agreement, many rooftop owners built permanent seating areas. By 2014, 15 of those buildings, which were once residential apartments, had become rooftop businesses with multi-level structures.

Before the project started, the team tried to avoid legal action from rooftop owners by offering to reduce the size and number of signs to gain their agreement. Unable to reach an agreement as renovations began, the Cubs said they would follow the original 2013 plan to change the park. Although some rooftop owners took legal action, courts ruled against them. By 2018, the Ricketts family owned 11 of the rooftops, operating them as Wrigley Rooftops, LLC.

Beginning

The five-year renovation project, expected to cost $575 million, began after the 2014 season ended. Before the 2015 season started, the left and right field bleachers were expanded, and the stadium was extended north along Waveland Avenue and east along Sheffield Avenue. Seven new outfield signs were added, and a 2,400-square-foot (220 m²) video scoreboard was placed in right field. Construction started on new locker rooms and lounges in an underground area dug out along Clark Street to the west. A 3,990-square-foot (370 m²) Jumbotron was installed above the left field bleachers. The Jumbotron has a sign for Wintrust Financial, the Cubs' official banking partner, based in Rosemont. The "W" in Wintrust appears after every Cubs home win.

To keep the stadium's history while modernizing it, the Cubs hired DAIQ Architects, a firm that has worked on Fenway Park in Boston, Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia, and Turner Field in Atlanta. T. Gunny Harboe of Harboe Architects, who has preserved historic buildings like the Rookery Building and Sullivan Center in Chicago, was chosen to protect the stadium's 1930s features. VOA Associates, which helped design Navy Pier, provided construction drawings, and Icon Venue Group managed the project.

Thornton Tomasetti, a structural engineering firm that started in 1956 as LZA, was responsible for designing the steel framework to support new construction. Since Wrigley Field opened in 1914, many expansions and renovations have taken place, including in 1922, 1927, 1937, 1988, 2006, 2014, and 2019.

In January 2013, engineers assessed the condition of the stadium's century-old steel structures, including the grandstand bleachers and concourse. Thornton Tomasetti’s team designed a steel reinforcement system to support new additions. By 2014, the evaluation of the old steel system and the design of the new reinforcement system were completed before the 2014 season began.

The west parking lots near the field will become Triangle Plaza and the Cubs' new office building. During the 2015 season, structural work continued, including new concession areas, restrooms, outfield group terraces, and a redesigned third-base concourse.

Wrigley Field’s outfield walls are covered with Boston ivy and Japanese bittersweet. The ivy was planted in 1937, based on an idea from future MLB owner Bill Veeck.

Cold weather and construction rules caused delays, pushing left and center field renovations until May 11, while right-field bleachers were finished by mid-June. Attendance during the 2015 season was affected by the unavailability of about 5,000 bleacher seats. The home opener against the St. Louis Cardinals had an announced crowd of 35,055, and the second game drew 26,814. Before renovations, the stadium held 41,160 people.

In 2015, work continued on the foundation and structure for the Cubs’ new clubhouse and office building, as well as an open-air plaza and retail space. Excavation for the 30,000-square-foot (2,800 m²) clubhouse and office building was completed in July. Construction continued during the off-season, and the clubhouse was ready by the 2016 season’s start. Support columns for a six-story office building, which will house the Cubs’ offices and a retail space, were installed, and the building is expected to be finished by late 2016.

Middle

After the 2015 season ended, workers began transforming the area west of the field into a 30,000-square-foot space for player locker rooms, strength and conditioning areas, training rooms, hydrotherapy sections, player lounges, a media center, and team offices. The old clubhouse area will be used to expand the dugout, add two underground batting cages, an auditorium, and more team office space. Premium and season ticket holders will have access to a new "Third Base Club" near the batting tunnels and a "Home Plate Club" behind home plate. All seats from the left-field foul pole to the main gate will be replaced, and new concessions and bathrooms will be added. An upper-deck exposed concourse will be built along the south and west roof-line of right field. Improved bathrooms and additional concessions will also be included.

On November 2, 2015, workers started removing the marquee to prepare it for renovation. The marquee had been in place since 1933 and was returned to its location on April 5, 2016.

The statue of broadcaster Harry Caray was placed back on the promenade outside the center field gate. Statues of Hall of Famers Ron Santo and Billy Williams were returned to the corner of Addison and Sheffield near the right field entrance. The Ernie Banks statue was placed at the main entrance, at the corner of Addison and Clark.

• New terra-cotta and steelwork will be used to recreate the original 1930s wrought iron.
• Ticket windows on the corner of Addison and Clark streets will be refurbished.
• Plaques honoring the 15 Chicago Cub Hall of Famers will be placed near the main entrance.
• Signage and photo opportunities will be added along the right field entrance.
• The old center field scoreboard will be repainted.
• Five display cases will showcase Cubs and Wrigley Field history.
• New hot dog stands will be added behind the marquee and in the right field stands.

After the conclusion of Game 5 of the 2016 World Series, preparations began for the third phase of a 5-year project. The placement of a chain-link fence around the ballpark’s outer wall was temporarily delayed to allow fans to continue drawing messages and pictures on the field, as they had during the playoffs and World Series.

• Structural improvements were made to the right field bleachers. The home and visitor bullpen areas were moved to spaces under the bleacher seating. The Cubs bullpen is now under the left field seats, and the visitors’ bullpen is under the right field seats. New seating was added to the areas where the bullpens used to be. Seating was rearranged along the right and left field foul lines.
• A visiting team batting tunnel was added. Ramps and stairs on the right field concourse were rebuilt, and bathroom facilities under the concourse were improved.
• New padded seats were added behind home plate.
• New flag poles were installed along the back wall of the bleachers to display World Series banners.
• The south facade and main entry gate at the corner of Addison Avenue and Clark Street were restored.
• The outfield turf was replaced before the start of the 2017 season.
• The Hotel Zachary project is still ongoing.

• The new Cubs administrative building, which includes a new Cubs Store and "The Park at Wrigley" above the players’ dressing room, is now complete. The Park area is only open to people with tickets before and during games but is available to the public at other times.

Final

After the 2017 season ended early, permits were obtained, and work began on the fourth phase of off-season improvements. The new 600-seat American Airlines 1914 Club, located behind home plate, is the first of four luxury areas planned around the park. Both players’ dugouts were moved further down the foul lines before the 2018 season to make space for two additional clubs. The dugouts were also widened to improve movement, and the home team’s dugout can be removed and filled to create a full 120 x 53 1/3 field for football games. This setup allows for a full 10-yard end zone, which is needed for college games. Two elevators were added to reach the upper levels of the ballpark. Fan safety netting was extended to the end of each dugout. The Hotel Zachary, located across the street from the park, opened just before the first home game. The final luxury club, located in the upper level, is planned for the 2019 season.

Key updates include:
• American Airlines 1914 Club behind home plate
• Catalina Club in the upper level
• Extended safety netting around home plate

The final part of the 1060 Project involved renumbering all seats in the park to match numbering systems used in other MLB ballparks. The visiting team’s clubhouse was expanded and renovated, now including 40 lockers, a visiting manager’s office, and a coaches’ room. Additional elevators to the upper deck and wheelchair-accessible seats were added. Construction on the Catalina Club, located on the upper level under the press box, was completed. It has a capacity for 400 people. The upper deck was expanded to include extended patios for concession stands and more restrooms. Upper-level seating has been updated. The Captain Morgan Club and Draft King Club Zone were replaced with a two-story venue in a right-field corner extension of the park. Food and beverage concessions are now available just outside the gate. A standing area for about 75 people was added in the left-field corner of the Bleachers. Former Gate F was renamed Gate 3 under the marquee. Players’ banners are displayed along Addison Avenue.

Added year

In March 2015, just before the baseball season started, Ricketts said that one more year would be needed to complete the 1060 project, so the project would take the same amount of time as planned.

In media

In 2021, a documentary titled "Saving Wrigley Field" was posted on the Cubs' official YouTube channel. The film is about the project.