Wrigley Field receives federal landmark status

CHICAGO >> The Chicago Cubs will receive much-welcomed relief help, but not in the form of a bullpen arm.

Wrigley Field received federal landmark status in the National Register of Historic Places, seven years after ownership applied for the status, the team announced Thursday.

That approval will give the Ricketts family, who spent about $1 billion in renovations of the storied 106-yearold baseball shrine, access to federal income tax credits on the “1060 Project” that started at the end of the 2014 season.

The move provides the Ricketts family with financial help similar to what the owners of the Boston Red Sox received after Fenway Park underwent a similar face-lift more than a decade ago.

“Wrigley Field is a special place in the hearts of generations of fans,” Chicago Cubs executive chairman Tom Ricketts said in a statement. “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.”