In case any of you have forgotten, the Cubs won the World Series.
I haven’t forgotten, which probably isn’t a surprise considering where my fan allegiances lie.
Chicago hasn’t forgotten either, because some parts of the city are still putting things back together after the raucous championship celebrations. (They even dyed the Chicago River blue, which…shouldn’t it always be blue?) That includes Grant Park, which served as the destination for the Cubs parade route as well as the site of the championship rally that followed. As you may have heard, there were quite a few people there.
From above, it looked a bit like World War C:
#Cubs World Series Parade/Rally as seen from space. #FlyTheW pic.twitter.com/o70S6EWyZt
— sports guy (@dachicagostan) November 5, 2016
That massive gathering has led to a massive repair bill for the Cubs, though.
Via The Chicago Tribune:
The Chicago Cubs will fork over $388,000 to repair stretches of Grant Park damaged during the World Series celebration and rally earlier this month, city officials announced Wednesday.
…
In the wake of the rally, the park had damaged or missing grass in Lower Hutchinson Field between Lake Shore Drive and Columbus, south of Balbo Drive.
The repairs will include grading, aeration and the addition of topsoil and sand along with repairs to fencing and the re-sodding of portions of Lower Hutchinson Field, Chicago Park District spokeswoman Jessica Maxey-Faulkner wrote in an email Wednesday.
Landscaping repair work is underway, and most of the work is anticipated to be completed in the next few weeks. The timetable is dependent upon the weather, so some turf work may occur in the spring, according to Maxey-Faulkner.
That might sound like a lot, but it’s apparently par for the course for these sorts of mass gatherings, at least at Grant Park. That same piece notes that Lollapalooza required $453,000 in repairs.
This is money well-spent for the Cubs, of course.
