Will Cubs Take Us to Mt. Splashmore? Will Cubs Take Us to Mt. Splashmore? Will Cubs Take Us to Mt. Splashmore?

So now that the probable highlight of the Cubs' season has occurred down in St. Louis, it is time to look ahead to... the Marlins?  Wow.  I bet there are more people on a single rooftop watching Dave Matthews than there are in the entire stadium in Florida this weekend.  Pat & Ron's attendance guess won't even require them to carry a one to add up all the fans.

So it might be a good time to check in on how the Cubs are doing with upgrading their Spring Training facilities.

It seems that the Cubs have narrowed their focus to a single location as their first choice to develop.  Riverview Park in Mesa was originally going to have a waterpark and a resort developed on it, but now the plans for that have scaled back so there may be an option to have a waterpark without the resort, but with a new stadium and training complex instead.

According to the East Valley Tribune:

The team would share the area with the proposed Waveyard water park and resort, which is scaling back its plans to only include the water park.

The team’s search had been narrowed to three sites until Thursday. City officials said they felt it’s important to develop plans for a specific site in advance of a Nov. 2 election to approve funding for the complex.

“You can only go so far until you have a specific piece of dirt that you’re looking at,” [Mesa] Mayor Scott Smith said.
 
It wasn't explicity mentioned whether Mayor Smith was speaking about the development plot or his opinion of how the Cubs approach free agency, but we'll assume he was talking about the development.
 
The Waveyard people apparently would like to be in business with the Cubs:
 
Waveyard pitched a joint project at Riverview to the Cubs and its owners, the Ricketts family. The team declined that suggestion and hasn’t spoken with water park officials recently. No specific plans have been drafted yet to define how the two projects would split the space.
 
To think of all the times I have laid awake sleepless in my bed as I lamented the lack of waterslide facilities next to baseball stadiums.  Finally!  My prayers have been answered! 

 

Well, almost answered.  There are still lots of logistics to iron out:

• Do Cubs players get to use the hot tubs for free?
• Who is responsible when the players fall and injure themselves while using the hot tub?
• Will the attractions be able to have Cubs themes like the Aramis Ramirez Lazy River?
• Can players go right into the water after making an error, or should they wait an hour to reflect?
• Will there be misting stations in the stands for fans?
• Does Starlin Castro get in for the child rate?
• What if Carlos Silva gets stuck on a slide?
• How do waterslides and baseball go together again, exactly?

Also there is the not-so-small task of getting the blessing of the voters in Mesa to dole out the cash for the project:

 

Mesa residents will consider the complex in November when voting on Proposition 420. That would satisfy a city charter requirement that voters approve spending more than $1.5 million on facilities such as sports facilities.

 
Wait.  The voters should vote yes on 420?  Is this a joint venture or isn't it? (rimshot)
 
Just to be safe, the Cubs should probably look into lots of campaign signs around White Castles, Jack in the Boxes, and Denny's since the stoner population might be tricked into thinking they are voting yes for something else.  That could really boost the chances of sneaking extra expenditures of public money past an electorate that is tired of giving more and more of its money to the government.
 
I'm excited for this plan if for no other reason than I will have a more convenient place to drown myself after watching the Cubs.

If I can't have a World Series, is it too much to ask for a wave pool and a flume or two?