MESA, Ariz. – Sunny skies and warm weather greeted chairman Tom Ricketts when he arrived at the Cubs' spring training facility to address the organization.

There was plenty of optimism Sunday as the Cubs prepared for their first full-squad workout. Ricketts preached to the news media about the Cubs’ pitching depth and said he believes they’ll be a great team this season. But the lovely weather and the optimism surrounding a new season couldn’t overshadow one of the biggest challenges Ricketts and the Cubs face in overhauling the franchise: securing funding and approval for renovation of 99-year-old Wrigley Field.

Any Cubs fans looking for reassurances the Wrigley renovation situation is heading toward a quick resolution, well ... keep waiting. The hold-ups preventing the Cubs from getting to work on fixing and updating Wrigley are equivalent to a to-do list that only keeps growing in tasks.