This post was contributed by a community member. The views expressed here are the author's own.

Health & Fitness

Letter to the Editor: Neighbor's 10 Cents on Wrigley Negotiations

Here is an e-mail I sent to Alderman Tunney following Tuesday night's meeting and I wanted to share those thoughts with all of you.

Dear Alderman Tunney,

My wife and I are condo owners in East Lakeview, where we have been living for a little over 2.5 years.

Last night was the first time I attended a community meeting, and I wanted to share some extended thoughts I had regarding my observations from last night and the Cubs proposed renovation of Wrigley Field that I thought would be best addressed in this forum.

Find out what's happening in Lakeviewwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

1. It was quite apparent you enjoy a lot of support from the community and based on the amount of time you have served for the 44th ward, you are very popular amongst the constituents. 

2. I understand you are here to represent and serve the best interests of the people who elected you. Also, serving in a neighborhood like Lakeview brings differing interests and, as you stated, problems due to the success of the area. I agree with you that it is much better to have the problems/issues we face versus those in the other half of the city as you put it. Having lived here, we consider ourselves very fortunate to live in this area.

Find out what's happening in Lakeviewwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

3. That being said, we are also Cubs fans and having the Cubs and Wrigley Field nearby (along with all the other activity and businesses nearby in Boystown) was a definite plus when we were considering buying a place. Overall, we are very much in favor of the Cubs renovation and believe as private business owners, they should be able to run their business as they see fit.

4. In hearing the concerns of the residents last night regarding traffic and parking, it seemed to me a lot of those responsibilities fall on the various departments of the city to organize and work together to make sure it is taken care of. Most of the questions were being answered by the police, CDOT, etc. The Cubs and the city can do all they want, but the simple fact is with 40,000 fans attending every game (along with bar patrons), there will always be traffic and parking issues to address.

We bought our place knowing these issues would exist and people who choose to live here should expect the same. To not expect it or think there is a magic solution means people are being naive, stupid, or a combination of both. Knowing there are traffic issues, I adjust my schedule accordingly to take it into account (for example, giving myself an extra 15 minutes to get to work during day games), knowing the economic benefit the Cubs bring to the community (and my property values), along with my personal enjoyment as a Cubs fan.

5. With respect to the night games versus day games argument, I side with the players themselves on this issue. There are studies that show the importance of circadian rhythms when it comes to players' abilities to perform at an optimum level. While talent is obviously the biggest component, it can't be understated the disadvantage Cubs players face playing a predominant daytime home schedule versus other teams playing a predominant night schedule.

There are so many instances where the Cubs have played a Thursday road game at night and then come home to play a Friday afternoon day game at Wrigley Field (or some variation of that). I don't think it's unfair to say the players are not being put in the best possible situation to succeed.

6. Extrapolating on that point, the Cubs are a huge business with obvious benefit to the community and the city. Furthermore, a more successful Cubs team year in and year out means better business for the surrounding community. Therefore, shouldn't we be doing everything we can to support the Cubs' efforts to grow their business to put them in the best position to succeed? I understand the Cubs renovation doesn't guarantee them success, but how does it hurt, especially when they have offered to pay for everything? 

7. On that note, I want to bring up the issues with the rooftop owners. The only reason their business exists is because of the Cubs, Wrigley Field, and their location relative to the ballpark. I know you are looking out for the best interests of everyone in the community, but honestly, the amount of money the Cubs can generate from advertising and put back into baseball operations as owner Tom Ricketts has publicly stated, far outweighs the business rooftop owners generate, and the subsequent impact to the overall community the rooftop owners have.

8. In closing, as a Lakeview resident and homeowner, I knew exactly what I was getting into when I chose to live in this area. Fellow residents should expect the same, especially those that have been living here longer than I have. Wrigley Field has been around for 100 years and I want to continue enjoying the experience for years to come. This process has taken way too long and it should have been resolved awhile ago, as Mayor Emanuel stated publicly. The Cubs have negotiated in good faith and I think they are being unfairly targeted. 

I know you probably get a lot of comments regarding this situation, so I thank you for allowing me to send this to you and taking it under consideration along with everyone else's thoughts. 

Sincerely,

Kaushik Bhatia

East Lakeview Resident

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

The views expressed in this post are the author's own. Want to post on Patch?