Wrigley Renovation Thread

[Sammy Sofa]

Fewer cops, no money, crappy economy, too many guns, outdated public transit that doesn't service enough of the city, the lasting effect of having what was for the longest time the most segregated city in America. Take your pick.

 

i would argue chicago is still the most segregated city in america

 

Apparently it was supplanted by Milwaukee and St. Louis in the last decade or so, but still comes in in the top 3.

 

i would also argue that your bitching about wrigleyville crime is horribly myopic; real, tremble-inducing violence happens in parts of the city. wrigleyville is not one of those places

 

What? It's a thread about the development in and around Wrigley, hence why I've posted stories to go along with how the neighborhood has really been going to [expletive] lately. Nowhere did I assert it was worst area in the city, or that its problems were more important than violence or crime in other parts of the city; the point is that due to a very real shortage of law enforcement resources in the area, the blocks between Belmont and Wrigley have seen skyrocketing numbers of assaults and robberies, and now we're unfortunately seeing that shifting over into people being killed and sexually assaulted as well. I focused on that because, shockingly, it's relevant to the Cubs and this is a Cubs message board. It's mostly not covered and, quite frankly, largely ignored by the city thanks to Rahm's shell game nonsense of playing with the crime figures, something he and the city are rightfully starting to get called out for on the national level.

 

and all of this ignores that the decades-long trend of violence in chicago is in the direction it should be: down

 

That's true nationwide as well; does that mean we shouldn't discuss or debate specific issues of crime when they arise? Next time there's a mass shooting we should just point out how national homicides have been steadily trending down and gun ownership has also been trending down; that's surely the last word on the subject, right? Plus, again, Chicago's crime statistics are not what they seem. Rahm is desperate to propagate his "we are winning the war on crime" mantra by any means necessary (I'm not denying the overall decline, but a good chunk of it are crimes and deaths that are very conveniently classified so as to not mess up the narrative).

 

http://www.chicagomag.com/Chicago-Magazine/May-2014/Chicago-crime-rates/

 

http://www.chicagomag.com/Chicago-Magazine/June-2014/Chicago-crime-statistics/

 

The bottom line is that the police have little money and are losing officers left and right and that directly impacts Wrigleyville; the precinct there was merged with another and there are now 118 fewer officers to cover the area. Combine that with the laissez-faire, "come and get fucked up 24/7, who cares, it's not your neighborhood"-approach the city takes with Wrigleyville and the nearby clubs and shelters that are woefully understaffed and underfunded and basically forced to kick out kids left and right onto the streets and it's a recipe for long term and escalating problems.

 

No, it's not the worst area in the city, not even close, but it's getting worse and why tolerate watching it go to [expletive]?

[davell]

So, what effect does the lighting off the proposed LED boards have on migratory birds?

 

 

THIS is being brought up, by the way.

[Sammy Sofa]

Maybe they'll drive away the seagulls.

[Guest]

So, what effect does the lighting off the proposed LED boards have on migratory birds?

 

 

THIS is being brought up, by the way.

 

hahaha

 

i was just about to post (thanks sharma) this hilarious twitter feed

[davell]

Maybe they'll drive away the seagulls.

 

Pigeons and seagulls are NOT migratory birds. Yes, this was discussed.

 

Tunney evidently just called the Cubs a minor league team, by the way. I'm sure that'll make it easier to settle at this point.

[UMFan83]

So, what effect does the lighting off the proposed LED boards have on migratory birds?

 

 

THIS is being brought up, by the way.

 

hahaha

 

i was just about to post (thanks sharma) this hilarious twitter feed

 

@wrigleyvillenat: Tunney says the #cubs are a minor league team until they cultivate more talent.

[Cubswin11]

Maybe they'll drive away the seagulls.

 

Pigeons and seagulls are NOT migratory birds. Yes, this was discussed.

 

Tunney evidently just called the Cubs a minor league team, by the way. I'm sure that'll make it easier to settle at this point.

Hahaha, sore loser. How many minor league teams/stadiums are the sole reason a few square miles of business/local economies exist and artificially inflate property value?

[Guest]

Wrigleyville Nation @wrigleyvillenat · 15h

Rooftop owner says no mas. They will agree not to sue and they will give back more $ to #cubs if cubs will run with original plan.

 

lol at their desperation

[seanimal]

Fewer cops, no money, crappy economy, too many guns, outdated public transit that doesn't service enough of the city, the lasting effect of having what was for the longest time the most segregated city in America. Take your pick.

 

i would argue chicago is still the most segregated city in america

 

Apparently it was supplanted by Milwaukee and St. Louis in the last decade or so, but still comes in in the top 3.

 

#realcities

 

i would also argue that your bitching about wrigleyville crime is horribly myopic; real, tremble-inducing violence happens in parts of the city. wrigleyville is not one of those places

 

What? It's a thread about the development in and around Wrigley, hence why I've posted stories to go along with how the neighborhood has really been going to [expletive] lately. Nowhere did I assert it was worst area in the city, or that its problems were more important than violence or crime in other parts of the city; the point is that due to a very real shortage of law enforcement resources in the area, the blocks between Belmont and Wrigley have seen skyrocketing numbers of assaults and robberies, and now we're unfortunately seeing that shifting over into people being killed and sexually assaulted as well. I focused on that because, shockingly, it's relevant to the Cubs and this is a Cubs message board. It's mostly not covered and, quite frankly, largely ignored by the city thanks to Rahm's shell game nonsense of playing with the crime figures, something he and the city are rightfully starting to get called out for on the national level.

 

i think maybe you're making it sound like it's a lot worse than what it is, but i recognize that is entirely subjective and own my reading of that. and of course, it's difficult to overstate horrible things like violent crime so i'll just leave that where it is

 

and all of this ignores that the decades-long trend of violence in chicago is in the direction it should be: down

 

That's true nationwide as well; does that mean we shouldn't discuss or debate specific issues of crime when they arise? Next time there's a mass shooting we should just point out how national homicides have been steadily trending down and gun ownership has also been trending down; that's surely the last word on the subject, right? Plus, again, Chicago's crime statistics are not what they seem. Rahm is desperate to propagate his "we are winning the war on crime" mantra by any means necessary (I'm not denying the overall decline, but a good chunk of it are crimes and deaths that are very conveniently classified so as to not mess up the narrative).

 

http://www.chicagomag.com/Chicago-Magazine/May-2014/Chicago-crime-rates/

 

http://www.chicagomag.com/Chicago-Magazine/June-2014/Chicago-crime-statistics/

 

The bottom line is that the police have little money and are losing officers left and right and that directly impacts Wrigleyville; the precinct there was merged with another and there are now 118 fewer officers to cover the area. Combine that with the laissez-faire, "come and get [expletive] up 24/7, who cares, it's not your neighborhood"-approach the city takes with Wrigleyville and the nearby clubs and shelters that are woefully understaffed and underfunded and basically forced to kick out kids left and right onto the streets and it's a recipe for long term and escalating problems.

 

No, it's not the worst area in the city, not even close, but it's getting worse and why tolerate watching it go to [expletive]?

 

that was more in response to the post that you were responding to, which i failed to indicate whatsoever

[Sammy Sofa]

Gotcha. My mistake.

[Guest]

UGH

 

http://chicagocubsonline.com/archives/2014/07/wrigley-field-restoration-update-mayor-encourages-cubs-rooftops-continue-negotiations.php#.U71GXPldXFC

 

Mayor Emanuel “encouraged” the Cubs and the Wrigleyville Rooftop Association “to continue to negotiate a deal that would avoid a court battle.”

According to the Tribune, Mayor Emanuel did not say the Cubs should shelve the revised plans which calls for seven signs in the outfield and go back to the two signs that were approved last year, a video board in left field and a see-through sign in right field, but he “stopped just short” of saying as much.

The rooftop owners reportedly went to the Cubs last week with a compromise that if the team would install only the two signs (left field and right field) that were approved last year, the Wrigleyville Rooftop Association would not pursue legal action.

The Cubs have not responded to the rooftops’ proposal and plan to go in front of the Landmarks Commission Thursday.

Mayor Emanuel said Tuesday both sides “should always have an open door policy to negotiate.”

 

that better just mean we're giving up the 1 or 2 sacrificial signs that were thrown in there to make it look like we gave something up

[UMFan83]

UGH

 

http://chicagocubsonline.com/archives/2014/07/wrigley-field-restoration-update-mayor-encourages-cubs-rooftops-continue-negotiations.php#.U71GXPldXFC

 

Mayor Emanuel “encouraged” the Cubs and the Wrigleyville Rooftop Association “to continue to negotiate a deal that would avoid a court battle.”

According to the Tribune, Mayor Emanuel did not say the Cubs should shelve the revised plans which calls for seven signs in the outfield and go back to the two signs that were approved last year, a video board in left field and a see-through sign in right field, but he “stopped just short” of saying as much.

The rooftop owners reportedly went to the Cubs last week with a compromise that if the team would install only the two signs (left field and right field) that were approved last year, the Wrigleyville Rooftop Association would not pursue legal action.

The Cubs have not responded to the rooftops’ proposal and plan to go in front of the Landmarks Commission Thursday.

Mayor Emanuel said Tuesday both sides “should always have an open door policy to negotiate.”

 

that better just mean we're giving up the 1 or 2 sacrificial signs that were thrown in there to make it look like we gave something up

 

Not surprised. This renovation is going to look nice when its completed in 2023

[USSoccer]

Man, [expletive] this stupid city.

[jersey cubs fan]

By Jared S. Hopkins, Ameet Sachdev and Hal Dardick

Tribune reporters

3:30 p.m. CDT, July 9, 2014

 

The Cubs agreed to Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s requested conditions in order to present its latest renovation proposal Thursday to the Commission on Chicago Landmarks, including reducing the size of signs along exterior outfield walls and to continue negotiating with rooftop owners who have said the signs will hurt their businesses, according to a City Hall source.

 

The source said that the team “agreed to make 10 changes that preserve the historical significance of Wrigley Field and are mindful of neighbors of Wrigleyville.”

 

The changes requested by the city include reducing the size of the signs along the exterior outfield walls and increase spacing between them, as well as eliminating plans for sliding concession windows for the exterior brick wall at Waveland and Sheffield avenues. The team also agreed to drop enlarged openings in the outfield brick wall for new bullpens, a change the team previously announced.

 

The source added that the team agreed to make changes to lighting to address concerns and to continue conversations with the rooftop owners to avoid litigation. Other changes are expected to be presented Thursday.

 

A major obstacle for approval could be the team’s proposal for seven signs – not merely a video board in right field and a script sign in left field, which were the approved signs from a year ago – to dot the walls along both Waveland and Sheffield avenues. The seven signs would seemingly block views into the ballparks from nearly all of the three-story rooftop businesses, potentially violating a decade-old contract and thrusting the two sides into a courtroom.

 

Landmarks Commission must review the plan because of the 2004 Wrigley landmark ordinance, which states that the “uninterrupted sweep of the bleachers” is a protected historic feature of the ballpark.

 

Cubs spokesman Julian Green said the team had resolved any outstanding issues with the commission several weeks ago and is prepared to make its presentation to the commission.

 

“If we gain this final approval, we are prepared to invest $575 million to restore and expand Wrigley Field and develop the surrounding area immediately,” he said. “And given this project will move forward without taxpayer dollars, we are focused on creating every advantage possible to innovate, operate efficiently and grow our business faster than the other 29 clubs trying to compete for a World Series trophy every year.”

 

The team returns to Landmarks after the team received the nod last year for a $500 million plan that included a 5,700-square-foot video board in left field and a 650-square-foot sign on the opposite side. The package included a complete renovation of the 100-year-old ballpark, as well as a nearby hotel, plaza and office-retail complex.

 

The team then began negotiating with the rooftop owners. But in May, Cubs Chairman Tom Ricketts declared the talks were fruitless and his team unveiled a $575 million blueprint for the 100-year-old stadium that was dramatically different than last year.

 

In addition to the video board and script sign that was already approved, the plan called for five more signs in the outfield plus other changes to the ballpark. There would also be more outfield lighting, a bigger expansion of the player clubhouse beneath the plaza outside the ballpark and slight inward moves of the outfield walls lining the foul lines, with the quaint outfield bullpens being moved beneath the bleachers.

 

In going for the bigger plan, Ricketts had decided that if he was going to be sued, he might as well ask for everything he wanted in the first place, City Hall sources said. The Cubs always planned to seek a total of seven signs after the revenue sharing agreement with the rooftop owners expired at the end of 2023, sources said.

 

But in the seven weeks since then, the Cubs have continued to face opposition.

 

When Emanuel said he was taken off guard by a proposal to widen outfield doors in the ivy-clad outfield walls beneath the bleachers -- so players could peek onto the field – the proposal was removed from the plan. But not before a June presentation to Landmarks was postponed.

 

Then, last week, rooftop owners said that as a group they agreed not to sue the team if it sticks to last year’s plan to install a video board and one advertising sign in the outfield.

 

Ryan McLaughlin, a spokesman for the rooftop owners, could not be reached for comment.

 

For all the proposed changes to the historic stadium, none has caused more controversy than the potential impact on the owners of the 15 businesses that sell tickets for their bird's-eye views into the stadium. The Cubs sued the rooftop owners in 2002, alleging copyright infringement and arguing that the rooftops "unjustly enrich themselves to the tune of millions of dollars each year."

 

The sides settled in 2004 in which rooftop owners would pay the team 17 percent of their revenues for 20 years. The team typically receives $3 million to $4 million annually, an attorney who represents the rooftops has told the Tribune.

 

That contract -- hammered out by Tribune Co., parent of the Chicago Tribune, when it owned the team -- has become central to the dispute and a document each side interprets differently. The rooftop owners believe that it prohibits the Cubs from putting up anything that could obstruct views of the field from the venues. But the current Cubs owners believe it allows the team to expand or renovate the stadium as long as it receives a public agency blessing.

 

The Ricketts family, which bought the team in 2009, would like to preserve the historic stadium for future generations of Cubs fans and plans to fund the construction with its own money – not special subsidies often seen in stadium deals.

[Sammy Sofa]

I hate this dump.

[Guest]

I'm done. I want a shamelessly commercialized, utilitarian, fugly new stadium in the shittiest suburb imaginable that fields of team of self-entitled dickheads who hit 450 foot bombs from every position and win half their games 15-13.

 

I am completely over this city, this neighborhood and the wrigley tradition. Blow it all up and do everything wrong except win baseball games. [expletive] the rest.

[ConstableRabbit]

Danny Ecker ‏@DannyEcker 7m

Landmarks Commission says he wants to proceed with this today, despite Tunney's recommendation to defer it.

[SouthSideRyan]

I'm done. I want a shamelessly commercialized, utilitarian, fugly new stadium in the [expletive] suburb imaginable

 

Blow it all up and do everything wrong except win baseball games. [expletive] the rest.

 

They already built Miller Park.

[Clem Fandango]

Danny Ecker ‏@DannyEcker 7m

Landmarks Commission says he wants to proceed with this today, despite Tunney's recommendation to defer it.

 

Translation: Eat a dick, Tunney

[UMFan83]

Danny Ecker ‏@DannyEcker 7m

Landmarks Commission says he wants to proceed with this today, despite Tunney's recommendation to defer it.

 

Translation: Eat a dick, Tunney

 

Is the Landmarks Commission one guy?

[Section538]

From @DannyEcker:

 

Unanimous approval. Cubs get landmarks approval.

 

Finally - let's get to work.

[apete6]

From @DannyEcker:

 

Unanimous approval. Cubs get landmarks approval.

 

Finally - let's get to work.

 

Rooftops can eat a fat diiiiick

[Tryptamine]

Thank god, I was so ready to say screw Wrigley and move elsewhere.

[davell]

As the rooftops issue a statement saying they look forward to continuing negotiations. LOL.

 

Maybe you should have agreed to the original 2 signs before they got approval for 7.

[Sammy Sofa]

BB is one lucky mofo.