David Kaplan spoke with Rosemont Mayor Brad Stephens on Monday morning, and the Mayor “is willing to give the Cubs and the Ricketts family a 25-acre parcel of land in the village that is a prime piece of real estate large enough to accommodate a new ballpark and anything else the Ricketts family would desire to have as part of the new complex.”
Mayor Stephens expressed to Kaplan that the Cubs are “being held hostage by the neighborhood as they look to run their business” and they are willing to offer the team a tremendous opportunity. Stephens told Kaplan just “bring the bricks and the ivy and we can get a deal done.”
David Kaplan reached out to Tom Ricketts for a comment but he was unavailable. Dennis Culloton, a spokesman for the Ricketts family issued this statement:
“Since Day 1, the Ricketts family has been working tirelessly to develop a championship organization and to come up with a plan to preserve Wrigley Field and invest in the neighborhood. The family appreciates the expressions of interest from Rosemont and others, however the current focus is to work toward an agreement with the City of Chicago.”
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According to Greg Hinz, this might strictly be a bargaining ploy with Chicago, but the Cubs aren’t ruling out a move. Hinz was not able to speak with Mr. Stephens but did talk with the Mayor’s spokesman who confirmed that Kaplan’s story is accurate and that the Mayor “has spoken to some of the Cubs’ people.”
Hinz also spoke with Dennis Culloton on Monday. Culloton called the offer “flattering” but the Cubs “hope to work out something with Mayor Rahm Emanuel and their neighbors to allow the ballpark to be built with new finances, mostly from additional night games and more advertising signs.” The Cubs focus remains to work out a deal with the city of Chicago.
Greg Hinz added later in his report, that the team has received other offers to move, but did not go into specifics.
Full Report from Crain’s Chicago Business