Restaurant tax to renovate Wrigley? 'AN IDEA' | 1% downtown fee would expand north

December 18, 2007
BY FRAN SPIELMAN City Hall Reporter
The 1 percent tax on downtown restaurant meals that helped expand McCormick Place could move north to the area surrounding Wrigley Field to finance either renovation of the landmark stadium or improvements in the neighborhood, officials said Monday.

Tribune Co. senior vice-president Crane Kenney, who oversees the Cubs, said extending the northern boundary of the downtown restaurant district at least seven blocks -- from Diversey to Waveland -- is one of several possibilities to finance stadium renovations if the Illinois Sports Facilities Authority agrees to a Tribune Co. plan to acquire and renovate Wrigley Field.

"The city and state could say, 'Let's leave Wrigley Field as is.' But to the extent they do want to make improvements -- and we believe there's a real need for that -- they have talked about a variety of ways, including extending the food and beverage tax to include the Wrigley Field area. Those monies would go to support bonds issued for renovation," he said.

But Kenney stressed that having the authority that built U.S. Cellular Field acquire and renovate Wrigley was just "one of eight transactions" the Tribune Co. was reviewing. The other seven involve "private transactions" involving groups that would purchase the stadium and lease it back to the Cubs.

"It's an idea more than anything else. It may go nowhere. We're not even in the bottom of the first inning," Kenney said.

Daley opposed to tax use
Another source said expanding the restaurant tax umbrella would be a way to finance neighborhood improvements tied to a $350 million renovation of Wrigley Field.

Either way, the restaurant tax idea could run contrary to Mayor Daley's decision to rule out any increase in hotel or restaurant taxes, said former Gov. Jim Thompson, stadium authority chairman.

"I am not looking at extending the boundaries of the McCormick Place tax. I'm only in favor of the politically possible. I haven't heard anything from the mayor and the City Council that leads me to believe he would approve that," Thompson said.

The former governor acknowledged that "there would have to be neighborhood improvements along with restoration of the stadium."

But he said, "For the moment, I'm not looking at taxes. I'm looking at non-tax revenue" like the tax increment financing scheme now being used to bankroll a new $1 billion Yankee Stadium on a park across the street from the House that Ruth Built.

The Sun-Times reported last week that billionaire businessman Sam Zell had approached the city and state about the idea of acquiring 93-year-old Wrigley for as little as $1 and assuming the cost of renovation.

Ald. Tom Tunney (44th), whose ward includes Wrigley, said he would withhold judgement on the restaurant tax idea until he finds out "how it would benefit the community and if it was worth it."

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