Cubs Plaza Could Host Up To 25 Outdoor Events A Year

While the Cubs' dispute with rooftop owners has been much in the news lately, we haven't heard much about other plans for the Wrigley Field expansion/renovation project. Until today, via Serena Dai at DNAinfo.com:

A public plaza the Cubs plan to open next to Wrigley Field could host as many as 25 events a year with amplified sound, including concerts and movies, on nongame days, if the latest version of the team's plan is approved.

A preliminary outline of the plaza's plan of operations, distributed during closed neighborhood meetings in recent weeks, calls for up to 25 events with "outdoor amplified sound" at the so-called triangle plaza. The special events would be held when Wrigley Field wasn't being used for games or events.

Amplified sound could be used up until 10 p.m. on weekdays and 11 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays both during the 25 special events and on game days, according to the draft plan.

As you can imagine, some of the neighbors (some of whom are less than a block away) are less than thrilled with this idea:

Residents who live closer than Racine, along Patterson and Addison, are worried they could be subjected to far higher levels of sound.

"People can't open their windows and be on their own decks?" said Terie Kata, a member of Lake View Citizens' Council board and East Lake View Neighbors. "It's ridiculous."

This seems to be an opening proposal, subject to negotiation with Ald. Tom Tunney (44th), who Dai says has no comment on the Cubs' proposal. Cubs spokesman Julian Green, quoted in the article, said:

"This was a number we started to get the conversation going," he said.

The Cubs also plan to use the plaza as an "outdoor patio"; the ice rink that had been on the property in previous winters (but was not there this winter, anticipating the start of construction, which didn't happen) would return. The Cubs' proposal also mentioned security procedures and the hours of liquor sales, and concluded:

It also noted that the regulations shown to neighbors "are purely for discussion purposes only," as the plans could still change after neighborhood consultation.

So this is clearly a work in progress. The Cubs have done a pretty good job in trying to work with the neighborhood groups to minimize disruption in the community. They'll have to work again to try to take into account some of the things mentioned in this article, before they have a workable plan that helps satisfy everyone's desires.