By Mary Corrado
Editor
After two years of negotiations, City Council last week approved an ordinance that will enable the Chicago Cubs to phase in 12 more night games over the next three years. The ordinance also will require the team to spend more to mitigate neighborhood problems than the team originally proposed.
The original plan, introduced Oct. 20, was beefed up with a clause calling for binding arbitration if the Cubs fail to fulfill their obligations. The length of the plan was reduced from 15 years to 12 years. Also, instead of contributing $67,000 each year for 15 years towards a neighborhood fund, the team will contribute $83,333 each year for 12 years (with an annual increase according to the rate of inflation). The team also shoulders more of the cost of remote parking with shuttle buses than originally envisioned.
The Cubs played 18 games in 2003, but can now play 22 in 2004, 26 in 2005, and 30 in 2006 and each year thereafter. However, if they fail to fulfill their obligations, they will be restricted to 28 games in 2006.
The plan calls for the Cubs to provide services and financial commitments to fund and operate expanded remote parking, print residential parking permits, expand trash pick-up and cleaning in and around Wrigley Field at times that benefit the community—even on non-game days, and promote public transportation and other means of getting to the ballpark without bringing cars to the neighborhood, such as bicycling. The Cubs also commit to power washing the sidewalks around Wrigley Field at least once each home stand.
In a related move, the City Council granted landmark status to Wrigley Field while permitting the team to add 200 lucrative box seats to the ballfield.
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