In 2003 at the earliest, a car wash and hot dog stand on Clark Street on the western edge of the 7.7-acre ballpark site could be razed to make way for a parking garage, Cubs Hall of Fame, restaurant and additional concession space. The current commercial uses occupy 5,600 sf in the two buildings.

The 87-year-old ballpark with ivy-covered outfield walls has seen relatively few changes over the years, although the addition of lights in August 1988 was drastic and controversial. Threatened by the potential loss of post-season games, the Cubs became the last team to play night home games that year. About the same time, a new press box was installed in the back of the upper deck behind home plate.

The addition of the bleacher seats next year would increase Wrigley Field's capacity to 39,600, still the smallest in the major leagues except for Boston's Fenway Park, the only older major-league ballpark and another classic stadium built to fit the local geography that existed in their neighborhoods in the 1910s. However, the renovation would hurt the rooftop views of apartment and condominium dwellers and their guests in buildings on Waveland and Sheffield avenues, a Sammy Sosa home-run shot from the plate.