Strict Rules For Wrigley Field's Plaza Pass City Council
By Stephen Gossett in News on Jun 22, 2016 9:50PM
Cubs owner Tom Ricketts felt the full force of an emboldened Mayor Rahm Emanuel on Wednesday. Rahm and the City Council pushed through strict limitations on exactly where, how and what people can drink at the proposed outdoor Wrigley Field plaza.
Approved regulations include a ban on liquor (beer and wine only) in the plaza and caps on serving times during Cubs games (one hour after a game for day games and not sales beyond end of game for night games). Also, only ticket-holders will be granted entry on game days; and the plaza can host no more than 12 "special events" (1,000+ attendees) in a given year.
Cubs spokesman Julian Green balked at the terms earlier in the month, saying "[n]one of these terms are reasonable." And right on cue, Green vented following Wednesday's ruling: "What's been regarded as a compromise puts in motion a bizarre set of parameters which further restricts us from operating the plaza as an asset that's accessible to the entire community," he said, according to the Tribune.
Right—half-drunk bros only being allowed to down beer instead of liquor sure sounds like an accessibility issue for the young and old alike.
The Ricketts had lobbied for year-round alcohol service, which in fairness, is arguably a big part of what Wrigleyville is all about—for better and worse.
Ald. Tom Tunney (44th), whose ward includes Wrigleyville, fought in support the ordinance as good-neighbor policy as related to other businesses and residents. "I think this is an incremental ordinance that allows us to get our feet wet, to crawl before we walk, before we run, and I think there are protections for the residents and the small businesses here," Tunney said, according to the Tribune. "It's not all just about Wrigley. ... I'm interested in how we navigate what we've already approved before we give away the store."
The Wrigley plaza determination was just one of several major ordinances and amendments passed Wednesday by the City Council. They also approved (decidedly hands-off) regulation for rideshare companies like Uber and Lyft and home-sharing services like Airbnb along with guarantees for transgender bathroom-access rights and paid sick leave.