Cubs fans, rejoice.
Wrigley Field, the second oldest ballpark in Major League Baseball and the oldest in the National League, has been designated as a National Historic Landmark.
It’s a win, really, for all Chicagoans, Cubs fans or not. This is a city that takes its historic architecture and landmarks seriously, of course. Adding another to our list is indeed worth celebrating.
Wrigley Field, after all, is the 106-year-old ballpark where Cubs fans endured decades of heartbreaking losses and told themselves, “Wait till next year.”
It’s the park where finally — finally! after more than a century of waiting — fans celebrated the joy of a World Series win as it happened in Cleveland against the Indians in 2016.
Now, Wrigley will take its rightful spot next to other renowned historic places, like Fenway Park in Boston and some 2,600 other landmarks across the country.
The wealthy Ricketts family, owners of the Cubs, will be eligible for federal income tax credits for the facility. Those credits were “one important element” of the plan that financed recent renovations of Wrigley Field, including a restoration of the field’s facade, electronic scoreboard and other changes.
National Historic Landmarks are buildings, sites, districts, structures and objects that have been determined by the Secretary of the Interior to be nationally significant in American history and culture.
“Wrigley Field is a special place in the hearts of generations of fans,” Chicago Cubs Executive Chairman Tom Ricketts said in a news release. “That’s why, from our first day as owners, we committed to preserving Wrigley, which will now take its well-earned place in the lineup of American history and culture as a national treasure.”
Hang out another W flag for Chicago.
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