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New rooftop signs near Wrigley Field inch closer to approval
The Cubs’ owners are nearing home plate on their push to install a pair of rooftop signs on buildings framing Wrigley Field.
CHICAGO - The Cubs’ owners are nearing home plate in their push to install a pair of rooftop signs on buildings framing Wrigley Field.
The Committee on Zoning, Landmarks and Building Standards unanimously passed an ordinance Tuesday that will allow for two new rooftop signs to be installed on buildings owned by the Ricketts — the billionaire family that owns the Cubs and Wrigley Field. The two buildings, 1040 W. Waveland Ave. and 3623 N. Sheffield Ave., are among 13 properties owned by the Ricketts family.
The ordinance now moves to City Council for final approval.
If approved, a Coca-Cola sign would be installed at 1040 W. Waveland Ave., featuring the soft drink’s logo next to its iconic Coke bottle. Paint maker Benjamin Moore would have its name above 3623 N. Sheffield Ave., just beyond the right field bleachers at Wrigley Field.
Ald. Bennett Lawson (44th), who introduced the ordinance in March, called the request for signs "limited."
"Certainly, we’re crawling before we walk with this, but it’s something that isn’t new," Lawson said. "There’s been vintage signs around the ballpark for a long, long time. … What we’ve seen here is in line [with] what’s happening with the rest of the city."
Both signs would not have any flashing lights or noise and can only be illuminated during Cubs games or other events at the ballpark.
Lawson said there’s been talks with the community about the possible new signs, but they didn’t garner many questions. He was surprised by the indifference people showed.
"I think people understand we have a modern Wrigley Field and a vintage space and neighborhood and this makes sense," he said.
But one neighbor wasn’t convinced.
Lawyer Timothy Cerney spoke Tuesday on behalf of his client, Chicago developer Aidan Dunican. Dunican owns 1050 W. Waveland Ave. — a Wrigley-adjacent building — and opposes the ordinance. Cerney asked for an amendment to the legislation or more time to consider it before a vote.
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He said Dunican is one of the last independent rooftop operators near Wrigley, and a longstanding agreement with the Cubs has siphoned some of his and other operators’ billboard revenue to the sports team.
"This is an unfair ordinance to other property owners … this is all for the Cubs and nothing for anybody else," Cerney said.
The ordinance passed committee less than a month after Lawson and his Council colleagues authorized the sale of hard liquor at rooftop clubs around the stadium. Lawson introduced the sign ordinance at that same meeting. Both measures, he said, "reflect a solution that works for everyone" — including the Cubs, neighbors and rooftop building owners.
Cubs spokesman Julian Green previously told the Sun-Times that since their $500 million renovation of Wrigley Field, the Cubs have been able to strike a balance between integrating new signs and protecting the heritage and character of Wrigley.
Green said it’s a delicate balance and there are no plans to put signs on every rooftop.
It’s unclear how much the Cubs stand to make from the Coca-Cola and Benjamin Moore signs, though Lawson said they’ll be facing cameras and not the public.