http://tinyw.in/oPre
小熊老闆老早開始收購球場附近的不動產
目前看來外場的老闆們敗象已露
小熊老闆已經和部份軟化立場的球場外觀眾席擁有者討論收購事宜
With the long delayed Wrigley Field renovation project finally underway and
the demolition of the bleachers the first step in a $575 million overhaul of
the stadium and surrounding area, the big question is what will happen with
the rooftops that have long opposed the stadium renovation plan.
That icy relationship which has long been contentious and had both sides
threatening litigation over the past several years may be thawing and could
see a number of the rooftop buildings sold to the Ricketts family. Multiple
sources have confirmed to me over the past few days that negotiations are
going on between the Cubs and several owners of rooftop buildings on both
Waveland and Sheffield that border the bleachers in both left and right
field. The negotiations, which had been superficial since the Ricketts family
purchased the Cubs in October of 2009, heated up recently after the
renovation plan received final approval from the City of Chicago.
According a source close to the rooftops, the negotiations have taken on a
much friendlier spirit with both sides trying to find a common ground that
helps the Ricketts family address their renovation and signage needs,
eliminates the threat of litigation for potentially blocking some rooftop
views into the ballpark and provides a financial deal that the rooftop owners
can find acceptable. “Despite years of acrimonious negotiations and public
sniping that has pitted the two sides against one another, things have gotten
much better. The Ricketts family has been amazingly fair, and Tom has been a
man of his word throughout these latest discussions. He and his brothers and
sister want the rooftop owners to get a fair deal, and Tom has been clear in
his instructions to the rest of his team that he wants things handled that
way. Now what they think is fair and what the rooftop owners think is fair
could still end up being two entirely different things but I believe that a
deal will get done before Opening Day,” a source with extensive knowledge of
the talks told me tonight.
Another source who has worked closely with the rooftops for the past several
years confirmed to me tonight that a handful of rooftops are not dealing from
the strongest financial position and are looking to get out from under heavy
financial pressure that came about from a number of factors. Loans taken to
upgrade their buildings, the last place finishes by the Cubs over the past
five years and a negative public perception of the rooftop businesses that
was generated during the stalled renovation negotiations have all contributed
to a willingness to sell their buildings if the Ricketts family offers fair
market value. “I believe that a deal will get done with some of the owners
of the buildings and it could be done before Opening Day but it will happen
if and only if what they are hearing from Tom and Crane Kenney comes to
fruition. It appears that there is a middle ground but until contracts are
signed nothing is guaranteed to happen,” a rooftop source told me.
It is believed that George Loukas, who is one of the most successful
businessmen in Wrigleyville has been negotiating with the Cubs to finalize a
sale of at least one of his rooftop buildings. Loukas would not comment when
I reached him by phone but multiple sources confirmed to me that he has been
in discussions and those talks are closing in on a deal. A handful of other
building owners have also reportedly had discussions with the Cubs and those
talks are also believed to have moved well beyond the exploratory stage.