Wrigley Field lot to be turned into shopping promenade

City wants $3.3 mil. for Wrigley lot November 5, 2004 BY FRAN SPIELMAN City Hall Reporter Advertisement The Chicago Cubs were asked Thursday to pay $3.3 million for the right to transform city-owned land adjacent to Wrigley Field into a Fenway Park-style pedestrian promenade bustling with shops and restaurants. True to her word, Planning and Development Commissioner Denise Casalino told the Cubs she was willing to forgive the team for the 22 years they've already used the property. But if the Cubs want the right to turn what was once a continuation of Seminary Avenue into a moneymaker, Chicago taxpayers deserve to be compensated, City Hall sources said. For decades, the Cubs have used the land as a parking lot for players and team employees. A search of century-old documents prompted by a request by the Chicago Sun-Times determined the city owned the land and the Tribune Co. bought it -- for $150,000 shortly after purchasing the Cubs in 1982 -- from a railroad that didn't have the right to sell it. Cubs call number 'high' City Hall reportedly arrived at a purchase price after a pair of private appraisals. The Cubs branded the city's figure "high" but said they're willing to negotiate if it's part of a larger package that gives the team the go-ahead to expand the Wrigley bleachers by 1,980 seats. "There's no question we purchased this land from the railroad more than 20 years ago. The city believes the railroad didn't have the right to sell it. We said, as part of this project, we would be willing to resolve that dispute," said Mike Lufrano, vice president of community relations for the Cubs. "We've been in discussions with the city and our community for three years. We're looking forward to continuing discussions on this issue, our bleacher expansion project and renovations for the Wrigley Field campus. We're gonna work as hard as we can to resolve all of these issues by the end of the year." Casalino could not be reached for comment, and her spokesman, Peter Scales, would only confirm what the Sun-Times already knew: that the two sides "talked turkey" Thursday. City wants quick cash City Hall is reportedly determined to get the Cubs' money in hand quickly -- in time to help balance the 2005 budget. Earlier this week, Casalino said the Cubs would probably have to forfeit some of the 1,980 new seats they want to build to preserve the "boomerang effect" of the Wrigley bleachers and the one-of-a-kind view of the neighborhood. The Cubs were not given a bottom line during Thursday's meeting. They were simply told their bleacher design "needs more work," sources said>