Wrigley Renovation Thread

[SouthSideRyan]

I'm hearing there's a big fire in wrigleyville. Is Rickets taking matters into his own hands?

 

It's gonna have to spread 3 blocks :(

 

Can't even commit arson correctly

 

Couldn't afford enough gas

[SouthSideRyan]

Although...Tom Tunney does like himself some BBQ.

[treebird]

I'm hearing there's a big fire in wrigleyville. Is Rickets taking matters into his own hands?

 

It's gonna have to spread 3 blocks :(

 

Can't even commit arson correctly

 

Couldn't afford enough gas

 

luckily, he probably hired this job done on the barter section of craigslist, so we should assume he'll be arrested and unable to make bail in the next few hours, thus forcing him to sell the team.

[Sammy Sofa]

I was just on my way home and it looked like most of the action was right down the street from the Belmont station. Stupid Ricketts.

[Banedon]

I'm hearing there's a big fire in wrigleyville. Is Rickets taking matters into his own hands?

 

It's gonna have to spread 3 blocks :(

 

Can't even commit arson correctly

 

http://devilsplay.files.wordpress.com/2013/04/tumblr_mcup1sper91qizglzo1_r1_500-burning-money.gif?w=500&h=206

 

It's not about the money. It's about sending a message.

[Banedon]

A source with the Cubs says the Ricketts are entertaining discussions about buying some of the rooftop properties. The source says some owners have come to the Cubs with the intent to sell, and that the Cubs are listening, but the two sides are nowhere near agreement in terms. A spokesperson for the rooftop owners could not be immediately reached for comment.

 

http://chicagotonight.wttw.com/2013/10/24/source-cubs-could-buy-rooftops

[UMFan83]

A source with the Cubs says the Ricketts are entertaining discussions about buying some of the rooftop properties. The source says some owners have come to the Cubs with the intent to sell, and that the Cubs are listening, but the two sides are nowhere near agreement in terms. A spokesperson for the rooftop owners could not be immediately reached for comment.

 

http://chicagotonight.wttw.com/2013/10/24/source-cubs-could-buy-rooftops

 

That would be ideal I guess.

[Guest]

Makes sense to me. There's pretty clearly an expiration date on their business, and I can't imagine the profits are so great that it's worth all the extra overhead of them trying to enforce the agreement for those intervening years instead of selling for a decent price.

[Sammy Sofa]

Makes sense, but holy [expletive], isn't this potentially the missing piece in all of the debate about how the payroll is going to end up slashed?

[jersey cubs fan]

Makes sense, but holy [expletive], isn't this potentially the missing piece in all of the debate about how the payroll is going to end up slashed?

 

How much are you thinking they are buying?

[UMFan83]

Makes sense to me. There's pretty clearly an expiration date on their business, and I can't imagine the profits are so great that it's worth all the extra overhead of them trying to enforce the agreement for those intervening years instead of selling for a decent price.

 

Right, I'm guessing the rooftops havent made nearly as much profit in the recent down years, and it might make sense to take the lump sum and sell rather than hope the Cubs get better and they enjoy a few years of increased profits before shutting down, especially because they are sort of holding the team back from competing with their potential lawsuit.

[Sammy Sofa]

Makes sense, but holy [expletive], isn't this potentially the missing piece in all of the debate about how the payroll is going to end up slashed?

 

How much are you thinking they are buying?

 

I have no idea; I'm guessing whichever ones would be blocked/obstructed by their planned renovation and likely would sue. Isn't that most of them?

[Guest]

Makes sense, but holy [expletive], isn't this potentially the missing piece in all of the debate about how the payroll is going to end up slashed?

 

How much are you thinking they are buying?

 

I have no idea; I'm guessing whichever ones would be blocked/obstructed by their planned renovation and likely would sue. Isn't that most of them?

 

It looks like if they bought out the one closest to the CF sign, they'd have most all of LF open for the video board, which is the biggest revenue driver for renovations. The plans don't call for much in RF right now, probably because there's a bunch of rooftops congregated there.

 

http://i.imgur.com/wAKPvp9.jpg

[jersey cubs fan]

Makes sense, but holy [expletive], isn't this potentially the missing piece in all of the debate about how the payroll is going to end up slashed?

 

How much are you thinking they are buying?

 

I have no idea; I'm guessing whichever ones would be blocked/obstructed by their planned renovation and likely would sue. Isn't that most of them?

 

I would think they could maybe buy 2 and completely change the scenario. There's no point in buying the ones down the lines, let them die a natural death and when the current agreement is up you can build out more in front of the hold outs.

[Sammy Sofa]

Works for me; whatever it takes to get the screen up ASAP.

[UMFan83]

http://www.suntimes.com/23440926-761/rooftop-owners-wrigley-field-test-sign-obstructs-views.html

 

http://www.suntimes.com/csp/cms/sites/dt.common.streams.StreamServer.cls?STREAMOID=S0bQZJfV6tw9tUIXfU_3rs$daE2N3K4ZzOUsqbU5sYumIYfswrGUxk4aiSIV2EJ_6FB40xiOfUoExWL3M40tfzssyZqpeG_J0TFo7ZhRaDiHC9oxmioMlYVJD0A$3RbIiibgT65kY_CSDiCiUzvHvODrHApbd6ry6YGl5GGOZrs-&CONTENTTYPE=image/jpeg

 

The Cubs on Wednesday put up a mock-up of the 650-square-foot script sign at Wrigley Field that affirmed the worst nightmares of rooftop club owners who feared their views would be blocked.

 

The test run — using a sign that read, “Wrigley Field” — was aimed at appeasing the rooftops and jump-starting stalled negotiations between the team and club owners.

 

Instead, it proved to Sheffield rooftop owners that views would, indeed, be blocked by the right-field sign — even after the outfield wall is moved back by 15 feet. That would force rooftop patrons to look through the script sign because they won’t be able to see over it.

 

“We’ve been crystal clear. Any sign that blocks the views of the rooftops will result in legal action. This violates a contract that the Cubs have with rooftop owners” that requires the clubs to share 17 percent of their revenues with the team, rooftops spokesman Ryan McLaughlin said in a statement.

 

In spite of the renewed threat and the negative reaction to Wednesday’s test, the Cubs plan to forge ahead with the sign, according to team spokesman Julian Green.

 

“Every one of these rooftops still has a view inside this ballpark. I didn’t say the same view. But, we believe every rooftop partner will be able to have a view inside the ballpark,” Green said.

 

“If someone is taking the position that the only resolution is no sign at all, that’s not a resolution — especially when the city has approved the sign in right field,” he said. “We plan to move forward with the sign. The last time we did this mock-up, we didn’t have a partner. Now, we have a partner in Budweiser. Given that we have a new partner, our plan is to activate this asset.”

 

Green further noted that the see-through Toyota sign that’s already up in left field did not violate the rooftops contract.

 

So its looking like the Cubs are willing to go forward with the lawsuit, confident that the language in the contract is valid if the rooftops get some view of the field, not necessarily all of it.

[Guest]

It'd be nice if they can still do that and the jumbotron this offseason.

 

Probably not, though.

 

Both are pretty extensive projects, I'd have to think. The Jumbotron out of sheer size and whatever structural support stuff would need to be done and the RF sign due to the fact that they're moving the wall out.

[Clem Fandango]

maybe I haven't been paying enough attention, but they're moving the OF wall back 15 feet?

[Guest]

maybe I haven't been paying enough attention, but they're moving the OF wall back 15 feet?

yes

[jersey cubs fan]

maybe I haven't been paying enough attention, but they're moving the OF wall back 15 feet?

yes

 

The outer wall.

 

But isn't that still undecided?

[Guest]

maybe I haven't been paying enough attention, but they're moving the OF wall back 15 feet?

yes

 

The outer wall.

 

But isn't that still undecided?

 

I would've said so up until Green's comments about them proceeding with it (if it was in doubt at all, it would've been to keep the rooftops from suing but now it appears they're going to proceed regardless). They got city approval to do it and that's what they mocked up before the comments yesterday.

[Clem Fandango]

maybe I haven't been paying enough attention, but they're moving the OF wall back 15 feet?

yes

 

The outer wall.

 

Ahh, that makes sense. I figured there would've been more discussion if they were altering field dimensions.

[Brian]

Along with the Cubs ever winning a playoff game again, any major changes to Wrigley I will believe when I see them.

[jersey cubs fan]

Along with the Cubs ever winning a playoff game again, any major changes to Wrigley I will believe when I see them.

 

Did you have that same opinion before all the other recent changes to Wrigley Field?

[Brian]

no I'm talking all the new stuff, it was a joke as in it seems impossible that they will ever win a playoff game after the 9 losses in a row, and these latest round of improvements feel as if they will never happen