CHICAGO-Although the City Council gave its unanimous approval of its $500-million redevelopment plan for Wrigley Field on Wednesday, the Chicago Cubs are not committing to any specific start date for the project.
The reason for the lack of clarity on the beginning of construction is because the Cubs want a guarantee from the adjacent rooftop owners that they will not sue if new outdoor advertising signs block their views, according to a statement released by Cubs Chairman Tom Ricketts.
"We look forward to beginning construction on our $500-million plan, but before we do, we must resolve once and for all the threat of litigation and the enforcement of existing rooftop ordinances and long-term certainty over control of our outfield," Ricketts states.
Despite the issues that remain, the Cubs, Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel and others praised the deal that will pump $300 million into the storied ballpark and $200 million into new development west of Wrigley Field, according to the Chicago Tribune.
"There is not one single taxpayer dollar going to back this up," Mayor Emanuel says. "All this will be done with private dollars to modernize the field." See story in the Chicago Tribune.
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