The Chicago Plan Commission, as expected, voted to approve renovations plans for Wrigley Field yesterday, and as expected, alderman Tom Tunney showed up to express his opposi — wait, what?
Local Ald. Thomas Tunney, 44th, told commissioners he backs the plan.
Although he continued to discuss with the Cubs and Mayor Rahm Emanuel his opposition to a pedestrian bridge the Cubs want to put up over Clark Street, he said other concerns have been addressed.
“Through months of negotiations and discussions, we now have arrived at the point where I have no objections to this project,” Tunney declared at the end of a three-hour hearing.
Well, that’s certainly the extreme version of lowering your demands: Retreat entirely and declare victory. With Tunney’s opposition out of the way, Tom Ricketts’ plans for Wrigley Field now face smooth sailing in the city council, and are certain to be approved. Get ready for bushes that sell you things, because they’re coming soon to a 99-year-old ballpark near you.
As a Brewers fan and Cubs hater, all I can say is LOL. Wrigley was my favorite park precisely because I was free from advertising onslaught. Similar deal with Dodger Stadium. I still go because I like baseball, but it’s not like it was when the O’Malley’s eschewed all ads aside from the famous 76 sign.
I guess they have appreciated Wrigley enough. Once they add all that tacky signage & distracting technology, what makes new baseball fans choose the Cubs over the Sox now? Most of the Cubs experience is Wrigley. I’m sure they’ll keep raising prices to price the average fan away & it’ll be like Yankee Stadium.
I wonder what backroom dealings went on for Tunney to fold like that.