I’m going to give you the hard truth Cub nation... Tom Tunney, the Alderman of the 44th Ward doesn’t want the Wrigley Field renovation project to succeed on ANY level. If you think I’m painting Tunney with a broad brush then get a load of Tunney’s latest effort to torpedo the Wrigley renovation project. Apparently, Alderman Tunney wants the Cubs to do away with a Pedestrian Bridge over that would connect a proposed new hotel at Clark and Addison. Tunney has also ordered the Cubs to move the entrance for the proposed new hotel off of Patterson Avenue. Apparently, Patterson avenue is a sacred residential block and god forbid that Tunney’s constituents in Wrigleyville should have to look at a hotel that’s tied to the very economic landmark that has increased property values for everyone in Wrigleyville for oh so many years. For the first time the Cubs point people on the renovation project are showing their frustration with Alderman Tunney’s refusal to deal with Wrigleyville’s most lucrative entity in good faith. Here’s an excerpt from a Tribune article detailing Alderman Tunney’s latest effort to put the screws to the Cubs and their plans to modernize Wrigley.
Cubs officials have stood by their proposal, pointing out that the Ricketts family is not seeking public financing for the project and arguing that entitles the team to wide latitude on specific facets of the construction.
“Every single asset we’re seeking has value to the Cubs and potential partners,” Cubs spokesman Julian Green said in an email Wednesday. “And we understand better than anyone every part of this project has to be done responsibly with the safety of our neighbors, fans and visitors in mind. Like always, we’re continuing talks with Alderman Tunney and the City.”
It’s good to see that the Cubs have finally had enough. The time for placating Alderman Tunney has come and gone. I could understand Alderman Tunney being picky about certain aspects of the renovation project if it was being backed by public funding. The Ricketts family has done nothing but meet Tom Tunney half way and what has it gotten them? Tom Tunney continues to paint himself as a Churchill like figure defending his fiefdom from a neighborhood invasion by a soulless foe determined to change the fabric of a residential neighborhood in the name of the almighty dollar. I WISH the Cubs had that kind of power. I wish they had the leverage to send Tim Tunney to his room and rebuild the ballpark any darn way they wanted to. Mayor Emanuel, it’s time for you to take a stand here. It’s time to knock Tom Tunney down off of his soapbox once and for all. It’s time for the contract on the Wrigley renovation to be signed off on. It’s time for the Ricketts family and their point people to look this Aldermanic bully in the eye in the name of getting what they need and what they ultimately want. Let’s be real here. Tom Tunney is merely protecting a precious voting bloc within his little residential kingdom. The thing is, Alderman Tunney isn’t Churchill and he isn’t Jimmy Stewart in “Mister Smith Goes to Washington.” He’s not a do gooder or a crusader; he’s a fly in the ointment. You know what Tom Tunney is? He’s a politician, no more and no less. Tom Tunney is the emperor who likes to hear the sound of his own voice when he’s making proclamations. And I’m sure, if he does ultimately derail the renovation project and the Cubs decide to leave the only home they’ve ever known, he’ll be front and center leading a lynch mob towards the corporate offices of the Cubs. And I’d bet anything, that if the Cubs ARE forced to move, Tunney will spin the story as one of corporate greed; of a once thriving neighborhood being punished for doing what’s right. The Cubs owe Tom Tunney nothing and they owe Wrigleyville nothing. If anyone is owed anything it’s the Cubs. Without Wrigley Field, Wrigleyville is just another niche area struggling for an identity. It’s up to you Mayor Emanuel. It’s up to you.
1 comment:
Another good one....
Post a Comment