The Cubs yesterday released images of four new premium clubs tied to Wrigley Field’s $500M renovation. The American Airlines 1914 Club, situated behind home plate, will be the first new premium space, set to open for the '18 season. As part of the marketing process, the Cubs are compiling a priority list of season-ticket holders behind home plate to gauge interest in the all-inclusive club. Team officials are charging a $500 non-refundable fee to join the priority list. Cubs Senior VP/Sales & Marketing Colin Faulkner said ticket prices have not been determined for the new club. The three remaining clubs, to be built down the first base and third base lines, and in the upper deck, will tentatively open for the '19 and '20 seasons, Faulkner said. Chicago architect VOA Associates and Levy Restaurants are working together on the clubs’ design. Currently, there are about 600 season-ticket holders sitting in the dugout box and club box seats behind home plate, and those fans pay up to $350 a game with virtually no amenities, Faulkner said. The American Airlines 1914 club will have no views to the field, but members will have exclusive access to a 7,200-square-foot lounge underneath the seating bowl, high-end food and drink folded into the ticket price, and private restrooms, plus access to concert ticket presales, pregame batting practice passes and postgame photo passes.
A LITTLE HELP FROM MY FRIENDS: The Cubs’ research for developing a home plate club included visiting multiple MLB parks to get ideas for the American Airlines 1914 Club. “We’ve been talking to our fans about the part of the project for a number of years,” he said. “We’re working on the final food and beverage plan for the first club and will start having conversations with fans sitting in that area." Excavation on the first space starts after the '16 season with construction taking place under the club box seats. The project is similar to the process for building the Cubs’ new clubhouse underground that opened in April, Faulkner said. After the American Airlines 1914 Club opens in '18, the Cubs will turn their attention to developing the three additional clubs. As it stands now, the Cubs have one premium club, the Assurance Club, that first opened in '10 as the PNC Club. Apart from the new club projects, the Cubs plan to renovate and expand the ballpark’s 57 suites. On the sponsorship side, the branding of the American Airlines 1914 Club is part of the deal the airline signed in February '15 to become a Legacy partner connected to the Wrigley renovations, Faulkner said. American Airlines’ marketers have worked closely with the Cubs, Levy and VOA on the club design, he said.
