Chicago landmarks commission, Cubs agree on Jumbotron
The Cubs' proposed Jumbotron has been approved by the landmarks commission. Up next: Chicago City Council.
By
Matt Snyder
•
1 min read
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Wrigley Field is close to getting the Cubs' proposed Jumbotron approved.
Thursday in Chicago, after a long hearing, the Chicago landmarks commission unanimously voted to approve a deal between the Cubs and the city of Chicago that will enable the Cubs to pursue adding a video scoreboard to left field without doing anything to the old-school, manual scoreboard in center, reports the Associated Press.
The matter is now in the hands of the City Council.
Here's the mockup the Cubs released back in May:
It appears the only real change from the initial proposal is that the Jumbotron will be 95-feet wide instead of 100 feet.
The biggest opposition to the proposed changes has continued to be alderman Tom Tunney -- whose ward includes Wrigley Field -- and he argued his case in front of the landmarks commission Thursday.
"I cannot support a proposal that so dramatically affects the quality of life of my residents," Tunney said (via Associated Press). "The Cubs often point to large signs at Fenway and U.S. Cellular. Those signs back up to expressways, not people's homes."
Tunney also reportedly expressed concern that the Jumbotron lights would be seen from blocks away -- though it must be noted that so can the actual lights during night games at Wrigley.
The main snag throughout the entire process has been getting the rooftop owners -- constituents of Tunney's -- aboard the proposal. The Cubs and rooftop owners are currently in the middle of a 20-year revenue-sharing agreement, where owners of the rooftop get 17 percent of their gross annual revenue that they earn by charging fans to watch Cubs games from their rootop bleachers.
The Jumbotron is merely one part of a $500 million renovation project the Ricketts family has proposed to help bring the ancient Wrigley Field as up to date as possible without moving to a new venue.
