Cubs see progress, rooftop owners see ‘good first steps’ in meeting on signs
BY FRAN SPIELMAN AND MITCH DUDEK Staff Reporters January 28, 2013 11:54PM
Maps
Cubs officials and owners of rooftop clubs overlooking Wrigley Field plan to sit down again this week after an initial meeting Monday to discuss advertising signs that could potentially obstruct rooftop views.
On Friday, rooftop owners suggested an alternate plan in which signs would be affixed to their buildings. The advertising revenue would go directly to the Cubs.
“It’s progress. Both sides are talking,” said Dennis Culloton, a spokesman for Cubs Chairman Tom Ricketts. “Everybody on the Cubs side of the table thought it was a good meeting.”
Ryan McLaughlin, a spokesman for rooftop owners, characterized Monday’s discussion, held at Cubs offices in Wrigleyville, as “good first steps.”
The talks will continue this week with a “sense of urgency” needed to resolve the long-running dispute, hopefully in time for legislation to be introduced at the Feb. 13 City Council meeting, Culloton said.
“I wouldn’t say a deal is shaping up, but we’re asking all kinds of questions about which buildings are able to handle what size signs and questions to understand their advertising [revenue] assumptions,” Culloton said.
