Chicago City Wire

Not many people plan on stopping at a hardware store on the way to a ballgame, so Lakeview Ace Hardware's owner doesn't expect much to change if the Cubs don't play at Wrigley Field this year.

“It really won’t affect us much at all, to be honest with you,” Joe Lomanto, owner of the store said Wednesday afternoon.

Gov. J.B. Pritzker said he does not see how any large group events can be held this summer with the COVID-19 pandemic, Chicago City Wire reported.

“COVID-19 is a novel virus that medical experts are still learning about as we deal with this crisis,” Jordan Abudayyeh, Pritzker's spokeswoman, said. “Gov. Pritzker believes we must be able to test expansively, closely trace the virus and offer treatment before we can return to mass gatherings.”

Economic impact studies for Wrigley Field projected a local economic impact of $789 million in 2019. That’s direct and indirect expenditures, and the induced spending those cause.

Direct spending includes game-day operations, lodging, restaurants, retail shops and non-Cubs entertainment.

Supplies of goods or services as a result from the direct spending at Wrigley Field make up indirect spending.

Induced spending is the change in consumption and spending by people whose incomes are affected by direct and indirect spending. These induced expenditures would be more difficult for even the local businesses to recognize as resulting from Cubs' games.

Lomanto's hardware store at 3921 N. Sheridan Road makes some sales to Levy Restaurants at Wrigley Field, Lomanto said. But that's the only business he has with or related to Wrigley.

"It's not like people come into the neighborhood on their way to a Cubs game to buy from us," he said.

Regular customers may be happy about one aspect of no baseball at Wrigley.

“It may free up some parking for us, that’s for sure," Lomanto said. "Other than that, it really won’t affect us."