CHICAGO — Ald. Tom Tunney (44th) demanded last-minute changes to a controversial $500 million renovation to Wrigley Field and the surrounding area before the plan was expected to go before City Council Thursday, reports said.
In a letter to the Cubs Wednesday, Tunney called for a reduction in the size of a proposed Jumbotron and outfield sign, as Crain's Chicago Business first reported.
The team erected mock-ups of a potential 6,000-square-foot video screen in left field and a 1,000-square-foot ad in right field in May.
Tunney wants the size of both to be almost cut in half, and he also wants the removal of a proposed pedestrian bridge over Clark Street to connect the stadium to a hotel, according to Crain's.
Tunney said he talked to Mayor Rahm Emanuel before sending the letter, and expects support from the mayor, reported the Chicago Tribune.
Deal negotiations have been heated for months between Cubs chairman Tom Ricketts, neighborhood groups and Tunney.
The Cubs and Wrigley Field are 95 percent owned by a trust established for the benefit of the family of Joe Ricketts, owner and CEO of DNAinfo.com. Joe Ricketts has no direct involvement in the management of the iconic team.
