The Wrigleyville Taco Bell Getting Manifest Destiny'ed Makes Me Wistful

The area surrounding Wrigley Field has been in a constant state of flux for several years, and the Taco Bell just off the corner of Clark and Addison will reportedly be the latest casualty.

According to Danny Ecker of Crain’s Chicago Business, a developer bought the property in June, and has proposed razing the Taco Bell to make way for a three-story retail and restaurant complex. Taco Bell’s lease runs through next July, but would it surprise anyone if a deal were struck to end it early and the fast food establishment was gone before Opening Day?

Yes, more tragic events have occurred in human history, but one by one the beacons of the Wrigleyville neighborhood that I lived in for a few months in 2010 are dwindling away. As it is everywhere, the Taco Bell there is a place where you can fill up for a few bucks. In a land of $12 unsatisfying, preformed cheeseburgers, this is no small concession.

Now, this wasn’t the greatest Taco Bell in the world. If you went during rush hour — 20 minutes after a Cubs game, or right after bar closing time — you were liable to get stuck there for 45 minutes waiting on a cheesy gordita crunch. The tables weren’t always wiped in a timely fashion. Etc. Etc. But that was part of the charm.

I’ll make sure to get to this Taco Bell one or two more times before it meets its fate and savor an experience I’ll (maybe irrationally) miss for the rest of my life going to Cubs games.