Name: Rooftops around Wrigley Field will be allowed to open for Cubs games, but with reduced capacity
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Rooftops around Wrigley Field will be allowed to open for Cubs games, but with reduced capacity

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AdvertisementBy Chicago TribuneJul 02, 2020 at 6:16 pmThe city of Chicago will allow rooftops around Wrigley Field to open at 25% capacity for Cubs games, according to the city and a rooftop manager.The rooftop buildings, which overlook the stadium on Waveland and Sheffield avenues, are included in the city’s guidance for restaurants and taverns that was announced late last month. Restaurants and bars were allowed to reopen for limited indoor dining last Friday, after the COVID-19 pandemic shuttered restaurants and bars for more than two months earlier this year.Advertisement“As the rooftop patios overlooking Wrigley Field are also restaurants and taverns, they are included in this overarching guidance and must operate within the guidelines established by the city in coordination with public health guidance,” the city said in a statement on Thursday.After waiting for word about whether the Wrigley rooftops would be allowed to open, Freddy Fagenholz, general manager of Murphy’s Rooftop, said he was informed by the city on Wednesday that Murphy’s would be able to operate with restrictions to stem to the spread of the virus.Advertisement“We are excited, but safety comes first,” he said.The city’s guidelines for restaurants include operating at 25% capacity or 50 people per room indoors, along with other guidelines, including spacing tables 6 feet apart and requiring face coverings when patrons are not eating or drinking. Most of the rooftop facilities have both indoor and outdoor spaces, so they must adhere to the more restrictive, indoor guidelines, a city spokeswoman said.Fagenholz said much is unknown, as there has not been an announcement about when baseball may return in Chicago and under what conditions. He is waiting for the schedule to come out before listing tickets.If officials decide not to allow fans inside the stadium during games or put a limit on attendance, the rooftop seats could become hot commodities.“It could be the biggest ticket in town,” Fagenholz said.Major League Baseball in March delayed the start of the season because of the coronavirus. Last month, Commissioner Rob Manfred announced there would be a 60-game season, with opening day scheduled for July 23 or 24. But the schedule has not been released.In the city’s statement, officials said whether fans will return to the stadium “is an ongoing conversation.”“The city has remained in close coordination with all of Chicago’s major sports teams throughout the course of the COVID-19 pandemic and looks forward to welcoming back fans at a time when it is deemed safe,” the statement read.AdvertisementThe Cubs, whose owners own most of the rooftops around Wrigley Field, did not immediately respond to request for comment.The Ricketts family, which owns the team, acquired most of the rooftops surrounding the stadium in a series of deals from January 2015 through February 2017. The Cubs collect 17% of revenue from the few remaining rooftops that are not affiliated with the team, as part of a 20-year agreement reached in 2004.The rooftops, which feature stadium seating with views of the field and food and drink deals, have long been a bone of contention with the team, and subject to lawsuits over the years. Advertisement

AdvertisementBy Chicago TribuneJul 02, 2020 at 6:16 pmThe city of Chicago will allow rooftops around Wrigley Field to open at 25% capacity for Cubs games, according to the city and a rooftop manager.The rooftop buildings, which overlook the stadium on Waveland and Sheffield avenues, are included in the city’s guidance for restaurants and taverns that was announced late last month. Restaurants and bars were allowed to reopen for limited indoor dining last Friday, after the COVID-19 pandemic shuttered restaurants and bars for more than two months earlier this year.Advertisement“As the rooftop...

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Madeline Buckley

The Chicago Tribune is a daily newspaper based in Chicago, Illinois, United States, owned by Tribune Publishing. Founded in 1847, and formerly self-styled as the "World's Greatest Newspaper" (a slogan for which WGN radio and television are named), it remains the most-read daily newspaper of the Chicago metropolitan area and the Great Lakes region. It had the 6th highest circulation for American newspapers in 2017.

Rooftops around Wrigley Field will be allowed to open for Cubs games, but with reduced capacity

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