Cubs Put Famous Marquee Back In Place At Wrigley Field
UPDATED: 9:06 p.m. 4/4/16
CHICAGO (CBS) -- Wrigley Field has its marquee back, but it took a lot more effort than construction crews expected.
Re-installation of the landmark sign began around 1 p.m. Wednesday and was expected to be done by 4 p.m., weather permitting. The task ended up taking six hours amid the rain. And that didn't include hooking up the electricity to the message board, ad sign and neon lights, which continued into the night.
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The rain and wind kept fan interest to a minimum. A handful of nearby residents brought cameras and shot photos of the work.
First up in the daylong process was the Toyota sign, followed by the LED board, gingerly lowered into place.
Then the most famous sections, restored to appear as the marquee looked long ago, though it will not be painted blue as it appears in an old photo.
"Pretty difficult to try to find some of the same neon rods that were used during that time, but we were successful in finding a company that could do that for us," Cubs spokesman Julian Green said.
Stuart Shea, author of the book "Wrigley Field: The Long Life and Contentious Times of the Friendly Confines," told CBS 2's Jim Williams there's a lot of money at stake for the Cubs by embracing their history in the ballpark's massive renovation.
"One of the things the Cubs are trying to do is comply with National Registry of Historic Places guidelines so they can get a $75 million tax credit by 2019," Shea said.
Trucked in from the suburbs, arriving like a star taking the concert stage, the final two sections were back home, the classic welcome to Wrigley Field.
"You see this beautiful red marquee at this ballpark and you walk in and see the green grass, it's still magic for a lot of people," Shea said.
Crews worked for more than six hours to put it all back in place.
Even with the marquee in place, much work remains in and around the ballpark, built in 1914 and the home of the Cubs since 1916. Much of the steel superstructure of the park is being painted a forest green. Pipes and electrical wiring lay on ramps and in aisles. Concrete barriers still surround the park, along with chain-link fencing in some areas, including the plaza beneath the marquee.
Fans who braved the cold and rain questioned how much could be done before Monday's home opener. The Ernie Banks statue, which usually graces the plaza at Clark and Addison Streets, is scheduled to be put back into place Friday, and it was unclear if the memorial bricks would be reinstalled. The statues of Harry Caray, Ron Santo and Billy Williams were reinstalled Monday.
Wrigley Field's in the second year of a multi-year restoration.
The art deco marquee, which was first installed by the Cubs in 1934, was taken down after the 2015 season for restoration; it's not expected to need further repairs for 20 years.
