Sports Plaza Venue License

Committee on License and Consumer Protection- June 21, 2016

A working group made up of local residents and neighborhood leaders convened in late 2015 to review the proposals and provide feedback to the Cubs and the Alderman on the proposed Sports Plaza Venue License. The information provided is a modification of the ordinance introduced in January 2016 and is the product of that community process.

This ordinance has been designed to create a new license that allows for limited alcohol sales in conjunction with baseball games and stadium concert plazas adjacent to major sports venues in Chicago. Each Sports Plaza will need its own enabling ordinance to come into existence and can have specific regulations crafted to meet its unique neighborhood circumstances.

This ordinance regulates the hours, limits offerings to beer and wine, regulates the points of sale, mandates security measures, and sets noise limitations on the plaza.

In conjunction with the Spots Plaza Venue License, the owner of the plaza will obtain a Public Place of Amusement license to allow for limited amusements and events such as an ice rink, movies in the park, community and family programming, farmers markets, musical performance, preforming arts, participant games and sports, and others.

Special Event Permits are required for large-scale events on the Wrigley Plaza

These include any non-baseball or concert events that:

will exceed 1,000 in attendance

will serve beer and wine throughout the entire plaza

will exceed the City’s Noise Ordinance limits

This ordinance has a limit of twelve special event permits for the year with only five allowed as large concerts.

These measures would begin a three-season trial period for the Wrigley Sports Plaza. After this trial period, the community, city departments, the Cubs and the Alderman will evaluate the ordinance and make recommendations for updates.

Cubs Plaza Outline

Game Days

Plaza functions as an extension of the Wrigley concourse- only those with game tickets are permitted
Beer and wine can be sold at kiosks located on the Plaza from opening (two hours before the game) to one hour after the game for day games and until the end of the game for night games
Beer and wine can be taken to and from the plaza and concourse only during times when sold in the ballpark
A hard stop time of 11pm for alcohol service is in place in case of extra innings or rain delays
For Night Games, the Plaza closes 45 minutes after the end of the game

Stadium Concerts and Events

Plaza functions as an extension of the Wrigley concourse- only those with game tickets are permitted
Beer and wine can be sold at kiosks located on the Plaza from opening (two hours before the game) to one hour after the game for day games and until the end of the concert or event
Beer and wine can be taken to and from the plaza and concourse only during times when sold in the ballpark
Plaza closes 45 minutes after the end of the concert or event
Large stadium concerts will not be held on Sun- Thurs nights from Labor Day through June 15 to accommodate the school year

Lower Impact Plaza Events and Passive Use

Ice Rink, Movies in the Park, Branding and Promotional events, Farmers Markets, Fitness/ Athletic Programs, Family and Children’s Programing
Plaza House- 7am to 10pm Sunday through Thursday, until 11pm on Friday and Saturday
No beer and wine sales on plaza itself, only in brick and mortar restaurants and licensed outdoor patios
City’s noise ordnance must be observed

High Impact Plaza Events

Limited events authorized with Special Event Permits and a limit of twelve permits annually (i.e. Plaza concerts, Fashion Week, Food and Wine Festival). No more than five Plaza concerts
Permits are required for any event where occupancy is expected to exceed 1000
Beer and wine sales from kiosks allowed from beginning of the event to one hour prior to the end of the event
All events must end no later than 10pm Sunday- Thursday, and 11pm on Friday and Saturday
All events from Labor Day through June 15 on Sunday – Thursday must end by 9pm (school nights)

For ALL days

Additional security for the Plaza, Clark Street, and surrounding neighborhood is required based on the type and impact of event
Adequate bathroom facilities must be provided at all times- bathrooms inside the ballpark can be used to satisfy this requirement

ALSO

Moving forward in 2017, no stadium concerts on weekday nights from Labor Day to June 15 (school nights)
Patio occupancy for the adjacent office building will be allowed/ limited to 1000 patrons among several different patios. Occupancy for the patio licenses city-wide is capped at 250 people
This ordinance would sunset after three years of operations on the plaza for re-evluation by the Alderman, Cubs, City departments and the comunity (Seasons 2017-2019 with re-evaluation before the 2020 season)
More than 100,00 square feet of food and beverage space is already approved between the office building and hotel that fronts the plaza. There are between four and six outdoor patio spaces anticipated that will follow the same rules as the other restaurants and patios in the city
More than 35,000 square feet if signage has already been aprroved for the plaza, hotel and office building. This is well in excess of any signage normally allowed by the zoning code

For Immediate Release June 1, 2016

Statement from Alderman Tom Tunney Regarding Plaza Ordinance

“As I have stated repeatedly, my number one priority is ensuring the public safety and quality of life for neighbors and fans. That’s why, before a liquor license is granted, we need to first have the community and proper city departments address the issues that come with a 365-day-a-year, 12-hour-a-day outdoor beer garden serving 4,000 or more people.

“With these significant issues in mind, I proposed a plaza ordinance that allowed beer and wine service and events on a more limited basis while we worked through any problems. I was happy to learn today that Tom Ricketts agrees with me on only serving beer and wine.

“I also would note that we have been supportive of the Cubs’ planned development of the hotel and office building that between them include more than 100,000 square feet of new food and beverage opportunities.

“Along with the community, I commend the Cubs commitment to family-friendly events on the plaza, including the ice rink, farmers markets and movies in the park, but join members of the community in remaining very concerned with the potential problems that would come with serving alcohol to thousands of people on the plaza every day of the year.”

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*** Comments on the Outdoor Patio application are due to Local Liquor Control Commissioner Gregory Steadman by 5 PM on Thursday, June 9th and can be emailed to BACPLiquorCommission@cityofchicago.org. Comments from registered voters receive the highest attention so please include your street address when emailing.***

January 2016 Update

Throughout the course of the Wrigley Field renovations and negotiations, we have been working with community stakeholders, the Cubs and City departments to draft an ordinance that would allow for an outdoor sports plaza venue adjacent to Wrigley Field. An ordinance was introduced in 2013 but never acted upon as the Cubs continued to refine their redevelopment plans. As the plaza and office building are now taking shape, we recently reconvened with all parties to discuss provisions of the ordinance.

The goal is to boost year-round positive economic activity in the Wrigley area. Events on the plaza will assist our local small business community throughout the year and provide neighbors and families with community based activities and events to enjoy. The events discussed have included; farmers markets, movies in the park, children’s events, fitness events, live music, seasonal festivals and the return of the Wrigley ice rink.

In addition, the ordinance restricts the hours of operation on the plaza for both liquor sales and events, creates additional neighborhood protections for larger events, sets limitations on noise, limits sales to beer and wine only, limits the points of sale and requires perimeter security.

I want to remind everyone that this is a draft ordinance and many of the details are still being worked out. I plan to introduce the ordinance at the City Council Meeting on Wednesday, January 13th and it will be heard by the Committee on License at a later date. We will continue the community conversations with all parties and send updates as they become available.

I invite our neighbors to send comments on the ordinance as well. Please email Ward44@cityofchicago.org with your thoughts.

Wrigley Field Construction

For up-to-date information regarding Wrigley Field construction, please click here. If you have any questions or concerns about construction, please call:

Non-Emergency Construction Hotline: 773.404.4175

Security Hotline: 773.404.4086

Residential street parking will no longer be available on non-event days along Waveland and Sheffield. To assist affected neighbors, the Cubs will offer free residential parking on non-event days in the Green Lot at 1126 W. Grace. Residents in the area bordered by Addison on the South, Racine/Clark to the West, Irving Park on the North and Wilton on the East can come to the Cubs office at 3721 N. Clark and fill out a neighbor parking application and receive a sticker which will allow Green Lot access. To be issued a Green Lot sticker, residents must have a valid City of Chicago vehicle sticker and proof of address.

Wrigley Field Planned Development

The revised planned development for Wrigley Field, which includes many neighborhood protections, was passed by City Council on December 11, 2013. The Cubs have begun construction on the renovation which will be completed over the next four years.