Construction Halted At Kerry Wood Cubs Field
CHICAGO (CBS) -- There was plenty of fanfare as the Rickett's family and the former Cubs pitcher broke ground on the new Kerry Wood Cubs field back in October.
"It's an opportunity for us to show them what baseball's all about and how much fun they can have and just get them outside and show them the sport," said Kerry Wood.
An aerial photo shows the location just south of Lane Tech high school. The new ball field will be used by high school students throughout the city and will seat more than a thousand fans. Opening day was slated for 2014.
But today, the field's a mud pit, and the project at a standstill. All due to the discovery of low levels of hazardous pollution.
"I think what they found was some contaminants in the soil. From what I understand, there is nothing dangerous in the soil, it is just a matter of remediating it," said Alderman Pawar
While the Cubs and Kerry Wood put up $5 million for the field the land is owned by the Park District and Chicago Public Schools.
When asked who is going to pay for it, Alderman Ameya Pawar said, "I think we are going to have to figure out. It depends how much work is involved."
Wood was unavailable today. He's quoted on the Cubs website as saying "We're not going to do anything that's not safe for kids."
And the Cubs told CBS 2's Roseanne Tellez the owners of the property are exploring a site remediation plan. But when you talk to the park district or Chicago Public Schools, there are just no specific answers.
Some folks at Lane Tech tell said it's a frustrating wait to use the field, and it's an eyesore in the meantime.
