Rooftop owners' suit accuses Cubs of bad faith in Wrigley redevelopment

(Chicago) The Chicago Cubs played hardball with Wrigley Field rooftop owners — blocking the historic ballpark views of owners who refused to sell up, while clearing the sightlines from rooftops the Cubs were able to purchase, a lawsuit filed Thursday alleges.

The latest development in the long-running legal battle over the Cubs’ city-backed stadium improvement plan centers on six new outfield signs, the Sun-Times is reporting. The Cubs say their plans were designed to score a federal tax credit worth up to $75 million.

But the rooftop owners allege the Ricketts family had ulterior motives when it last year asked Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s handpicked Chicago Commission on Landmarks to approve changes to their plan for signs and a jumbotron.

“Instead of substantively modifying the outfield sign plan, the Cubs reconfigured the… signs so as to completely block the views of the Rooftops the Cubs were unable to purchase,” the owners allege in the suit against the City of Chicago.

The new sign arrangement shafts rooftop owners who weren’t willing to sell, but will “restore the views of the Rooftops the Cubs contracted to purchase,” say the owners, who want a Cook County Judge to stop the signs from going up.

Cubs spokesman Julian Green declined to comment on the suit. A spokesman for the city was not immediately able to comment.

The organization has been accused of bullying rooftop owners ever since the original $375 million stadium improvement plan was approved by the landmark commission in July.

During a meeting last month at which changes to that original plan were approved, Acting Landmarks Commission Chairman Jim Houlihan admonished team officials, warning them not to engage in “bullying tactics.” At the time, Green, the Cubs’ spokesman, denied the charges.

Houlihan said at the time, “The issue was raised as to whether the location of signage was being used in some of the negotiations with the rooftops. It is not directly a part of our review.

“It would be unfortunate if there were bullying tactics being used. And it would be a long-term mistake for the Cubs. The Cubs’ success is, in great part, its relationship to that neighborhood.”

An earlier lawsuit, filed in August, said much the same. It accused the team of using strong-arm tactics to coerce owners into selling their businesses at fire-sale prices.

–Sun-Times