Area Neighbors Tell Cubs to Slow Wrigley Rush

The Chicago Cubs may have plans to renovate Wrigley Field and inject a total $500 million into Wrigleyville, but Lake View neighbors are asking Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel to slow down the complex negotiations.

The Lake View Citizens Council, an organization representing 11 neighborhood groups in the community, sent a letter to Emanuel Wednesday detailing their thoughts on the Wrigley expansion project.

Broken up into sections like Game and Event Concerns, Planned Development Concerns and Neighborhood Concerns, the letter outlines everything from advertising in the outfield to safety issues during games.

Will DeMille, LVCC’s president, says the fast paced and complex negotiations surrounding the whole project need to be slowed down, and in the past, the organization’s recommendation has meant a great deal to Ald. Tom Tunney (44th).

“Why rush to get the whole package approved when 15 to 20 percent of the details, like all the things that affect people living in the 5 mile radius of the field, haven’t been decided yet,” DeMille said. “While we broke out our concerns, we’re basically asking the mayor not to rush to judgment and push something to the City Council while all of us who work with the Cubs are still ironing out the details.”

The Ricketts Family, who own the Chicago Cubs, agreed they’d foot the bill for the entire project, avoiding public financing, if the community loosened the restrictions on a slew of items like nighttime games and advertisements.

Ricketts, Emanuel and Tunney met last week in an attempt to iron out a solution, but could not, the Chicago Tribune reports. A City Hall source later told the Tribune “the mayor thinks this deal should have been finished a long time ago.”

Some of the recommendations in the LVCC’s letter include upping the night game limit from 30 to 33, as well as doubling the number of concerts from 2 to 4 per season. In addition, the letter applauded the Cubs for certain project, like plans to develop the interior of Wrigley Field and adjacent lot, but stood their ground on issues like Wrigley Rooftop signage.

“We are very encouraged that the City, Alderman Tunney and the Cubs have slowed the rush to have a City Ordinance passed authorizing the unprecedented expansion of Wrigley Field into the neighborhood,” the letter reads. “We recognize that changes are needed at Wrigley Field, but neighborhood effects from additional night games, concerts and events have not been resolved. Now is not the time for City Council to rush to vote on a proposal that could have profound impact on the taxpaying residents for decades to come.”

DeMille added that, in summary, the letter is simply to inform city officials that the dialogue is not over, and Lake View neighbors just want time to continue ironing out the details of the $500 million renovation.

Lake View resident and Chicago Cubs Charities Program Manager Jennifer Dedes Nowak addressed neighbors during Wednesday night’s Triangle Neighbors Association meeting. She said the Cubs hope to begin construction at the end of the 2013 season, and the Cubs plans for change already include so much community involvement.

“The Cubs are here to work with the community,” Dedes Nowak said. “I’ve been at almost every community meeting for the last 10 years. We’re here to work with you and get your feedback, but a lot of these plans came from your feedback. A lot of these plans are actually your plans. We just want to do what’s best for everyone.”

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