The Chicago Landmark Commission basically decommissioned Wrigley Field from historic preservation status by voting to allow the Cubs to drastically change the ball park.
Even today, the general public still does not know what the final blueprints will be since the Cubs plans seem to be a moving target to even those deeply interested in its outcome. A few startling revelations happened at the commission hearing, when it was said that the bleachers would be demolished and the upper deck removed to allow for five additional sky suites. No one heard about those actions prior to the meeting.
Chicago Tribune architectural critic Blair Kamin wrote that the landmark commission has basically wiped the preservation ordinance off the map. He said the outer facade and its view as well as the interior bleachers, ivy, scoreboard and view were all landmarked elements of Wrigley Field. Adding seven outfield signs impacts the landmarked view toward the bleachers. The removal of the upper deck will impact on the landmarked exterior facade. And most galling, the landmarked center field scoreboard will be altered with an advertising sign around the clock. Each major element of Wrigley will be altered under the last proposal. A landmark is meant to be preserved on how it looked 20, 30, 50 or 100 years ago. Clearly, that is not going to happen at Wrigley.
And as neighbors have been saying for years, the Cubs keep changing their plans without telling anyone until the last minute, if at all. The only thing for certain is that the Wrigley Field that generations grew up with will be not the same Wrigley Field of the future.
For whatever reason, the Cubs and Ricketts have taken to bulldozing their revised, revised plans through city hall without any regard to public relations or neighborhood input. They may be confident enough that the rooftop owners will not sue, or that the city will back them up in any legal fight. But this new plan basically puts the rooftop owners out of business, so the only recourse is to sue to enforce their contract rights. The Cubs have been harping on the revised plans as "an expansion" of Wrigley Field in an attempt to get a contract loophole to stop any rooftop injunction. However, legal experts are not in agreement on who would win a contract enforcement action because the contract refers to the possible 2006 bleacher expansion proposal and not additional signage that would block rooftop views.
There are still a few possible outcomes to play out.
First, the Ricketts get everything they want. The Ricketts find financing and build their dream entertainment district at Clark and Addison. The Cubs will become a mere seasonal tenant as Wrigley will become a place for concerts, corporate outings, expositions and other entertainment programs. It will be either a great success or a great failure.
Second, the Cubs don't share in the additional ball park and real estate revenues. The Cubs payroll continues to decline. The team is successful like the Rays by having brilliant prospects perform to expectations or the team is great failure if they are mostly busts.
Third, the element that Wrigley Field was an important tourist attraction turns sour as groups and visitors no longer come to the park because it is not the historic landmark from their youth. Coupled with bad teams, attendance will fall and the Cubs will sink to a small market franchise.
Fourth, the Cubs get a new super broadcast deal in 2020 so the team can go out and buy a competitive championship caliber club. The signing of top free agents and a winning record propels new fans to Wrigley Field.
In the undercurrent of these possible future events is the riptide that the Chicago metro area's economy is still not doing well. Chicago's government finances are in a mess; some analysts believe that it is heading toward Detroit. If property taxes skyrocket as projected to meet pension obligations, people will continue to leave the city. High unemployment and lack of business growth will also hurt the city's prospects of having viable neighborhoods with people with disposal income to spend on entertainment items such as premium Cubs tickets. Even the Millennials, the next generation of fans, have a pessimistic outlook for their future earnings and careers.
In the moniker of baseball lore, Ricketts may build his dream Wrigley, but no one may come to see it.
