CHICAGO (WBBM NEWSRADIO) - The corner of Addison and Sheffield is looking a lot different these days.
"This corner of our beloved ballpark has been going through a constant state of change for the last 40 years," said Cubs President of Business Operations Crane Kenney.
The Friendly Confines Cafe opened in 1983. In 2009, it opened as the Captain Morgan Club and in 2015, it became the DraftKings Fantasy Sports Zone.
"So for the past 40 years, we've had a food and beverage operation at this corner so as we began the process of envisioning the future of Wrigley Field and doing something more permanent, the idea of creating a sportsbook with our friends at DraftKings made the most sense and we're very excited to convert what was a tent into a permanent structure here on the corner." Kenny said.
Construction is officially underway for the 22,000 square foot, three level permanent sports betting facility.
"This will house 800 people, it'll also have a 2,000 square foot television which is larger than my first apartment," laughed Kenney.
Kenney, DraftKings Co-Founder and CEO Jason Robins, President of Pepper Construction Scot Pepper, President and Chief Executive Officer of Levy Andy Lansing, and Principal at Gensler Aleksandar Sasha Zeljic were all on hand to officially sign one of the beams that will be placed in the construction of the building.
"This is a major milestone with the beginning of construction at Wrigley Field. To say this soon-to-be retail sports book is meaningful would be an understatement," said Robins.
Kenney said one of the main reasons they decided to add the sportsbook is to attract a younger and more diverse fan base.
"The baseball dynamic skews old. The average age for a baseball fan is 57. More than 80% of sports bettors are under the age of 55 and they tend to be more diverse, they tend to engage more and for longer periods of time with the games they've placed a wager on," said Kenney.
The addition of a year-round sports betting facility is part of a strategy to turn Wrigleyville into a year-round destination.
"First, we were looking to add another entertainment option to the Wrigley campus that will engage our fans, our friends and neighbors on game day, and most importantly on non-game days. We hold concerts here, it's just natural to offer this new option." said Kenney.
"This isn't just about betting. This is a social experience, there's going to be food and drinks, an amazing audio and a visual experience. You can't watch a 2,000 square foot television on your phone or at your home." said Robins.
"Illinois is an incredible space for sports fanship. We've seen an uptick in sports betting for that reason. It keeps growing and I think this is going to help take it to the next level."
The DraftKings Sports Book at Wrigley Field is expected to be finished by Spring or Summer.
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