According to reports from the Tribune and the Sun-Times, the deal to restore Wrigley Field, that was expected to be announced prior to Monday’s home opener, has hit a snag. The Tribune reported that sticking points remain between the Cubs and the rooftop club owners. The two sides have continued discussions in the wake of the statement released by the rooftop owners on Friday.
The Sun-Times reported the latest delay in the deal is over the size of the jumbotron the Cubs are looking to add in left field and the rooftop owners’ demands for an extension of their agreement with the team.
The Ricketts family reportedly does not want to continue the Cubs’ relationship with the rooftop clubs and wants out of the agreement. The rooftop owners are “insisting on an extension under the same revenue sharing terms.”
According to multiple reports last Thursday, a deal appeared to be in place with the Cubs and the city and was expected to be announced as early as Friday. The rooftop club owners are not happy with the agreement that was “hammered out after months of negotiations.” The deal reportedly included a jumbotron in left field that would “partially block two rooftops and another sign in right field that may or may not impair rooftop views.” The agreement also included the Mayor allowing the Cubs to increase the number of night games and 3:05pm CDT start times.
The Sun-Times reported that the team and the mayor’s office “are searching for ways to compensate the rooftop owners for any loss of revenue” and the Cubs are “insisting that the rooftop owners agree not to file a lawsuit that would tie the renovation plan up in court.”
Mayor Rahm Emanuel has been personally involved in the negotiations this weekend.
According to the Sun-Times, “Emanuel desperately wants to deliver the agreement before Opening Day as the Cubs have demanded to avoid losing another construction season. The mayor also wants to deliver a project that would generate 2,000 jobs and $20 million a year in revenue for the city and state. That’s apparently why he’s personally involved in the negotiations still going on all weekend at City Hall.”