Cubs to Lake View: 'We Will Continue to Involve Our Community'

Dear Neighbors,

We are happy to announce the beginning of the public process to move forward with the City of Chicago and Alderman Tunney to keep the Cubs playing in Wrigley Field for another generation.

Over the next few months, we will continue to involve our community in the proposal to restore and improve Wrigley Field and in discussions about the Ricketts family’s plan to develop land around the ballpark. (Here) is a link to a press release providing further details. We look forward to discussing these plans with our neighbors and elected officials to ensure we work together as we have for nearly 100 years to keep the Friendly Confines thriving and to enhance an operating environment which allows us to reach our goal of winning championships in Wrigley Field.

For our neighborhood, the proposal keeps our commitment to be good neighbors and is consistent with our ongoing charitable involvement. We will make a $1 million commitment to fund a new park and playlot at 1230 W. School and, over the next nine years, pledge $3.75 million for community infrastructure projects and amenities agreed jointly by the Cubs and Alderman Tunney.

As we shared at the Cubs Convention last January, the project will better serve our players, fans and partners. Under this proposal, we will improve our training and conditioning facilities, as well as add new batting tunnels for our players. For fans, we will improve the experience at the ballpark by providing more amenities such as larger restroom facilities, improved concessions, new restaurants, enhanced suites and club and group entertainment spaces. Our corporate, concession and media partners will also benefit from improved facilities to deliver better programming and service.

Our plan also includes more night games, a comprehensive parking and traffic management plan, a bleacher expansion to include a videoboard in left field and additional signage throughout the bleachers and seating bowl.

Outside the ballpark, the plan includes a premium hotel, in partnership with Starwood, an open-air plaza, a pedestrian bridge with public access over Clark Street connecting the hotel and plaza and exciting new sponsorship assets associated with the hotel, plaza and Captain Morgan Club.

Finally, this plan will create huge economic opportunities for the city—creating 2,100 new jobs and generating hundreds of millions of dollars in new tax revenue for the city, state and county. More important, it will keep the Cubs in the neighborhood, create the resources we need to bring a World Championship to Wrigleyville and restore Wrigley Field.

We will provide greater details in the near future and welcome your help in making our plan a reality. As always, we appreciate your support.

The Chicago Cubs