CHICAGO (AP) — The owner of the Chicago Cubs threatenedWednesday to move the team out of
Wrigley Field if his plans for a big,new video screen are blocked, saying he needs millions of dollars
in adrevenue to help bankroll the renovation of the storied ballpark.Itwas the first time during months
of contentious negotiations over plansfor a $500 million renovation of the 99-year-old stadium that
CubsChairman Tom Ricketts has threatened to move the team out of the livelyNorth Side neighborhood of
Wrigleyville."The fact is that if wedon’t have the ability to generate revenue in our own outfield,
we’llhave to take a look at moving — no question," Ricketts told reportersafter outlining
renovation plans to Chicago business leaders.He added that he remained committed to working out a
deal.Byfar the thorniest issue is the plan for a 6,000-square-foot videoscreen over left field, as seen
in many major league ballparks. Thedifference is that Wrigley Field — the second oldest ballpark in
MajorLeague Baseball behind Fenway Park in Boston — is surrounded byprivately owned clubs with rooftop
bleachers whose owners object to anychanges that could block their bird’s-eye views into the
stadium.Therooftop businesses have been left out of discussions on the proposedupgrade, but they feel
they should have a seat at the bargaining tablebecause they have a contract in which they share 17
percent of theirrevenue with the Cubs. Legal action is a possibility.Rickettspresented an architectural
rendering of the video screen during hisspeech to the City Club of Chicago and insisted that the team’s
ownstudies have shown it would have minimal, if any, impact on the views.He described the sign as
"midsize" compared with those at otherstadiums. It is nearly three times as large as the
scoreboard currentlyatop the centerfield bleachers. Another smaller sign with the name of asponsor is
planned for right field.He said without such signage,the team was losing out on $20 million a year in ad
revenue — essentialfor helping fund the extensive renovations without dipping into
taxpayerfunds."All we really need is to be able to run our business like a business and not a
museum," Ricketts told the audience.Rickettssaid the team formally filed its full renovation
proposal with the cityof Chicago on Wednesday. The plan must get approval from city plannersand the City
Council. There will also be public hearings.Theproposal calls for more night games, a 175-room boutique
hotel acrossthe street, a new clubhouse and upgrades for fans. The proposal alsocalls for an open-air
plaza and an office building with retail space.MayorRahm Emanuel and the alderman whose ward includes
Wrigley Field, TomTunney, support the overall plan. The mayor’s office has already agreedthat the
outfield signs can be installed, but there has been noagreement on size or design.If the deal wins
approval, Rickettssaid work could begin after this season ends and be completed duringoffseasons over
the next five years.One of the rooftop owners,Beth Murphy, told reporters after listening to Ricketts’
speech that itwas the first time she’d seen any drawings of the screen and that sheand other owners
would have a lot of vetting to do before determining ifthe proposal works."It looked big to me and
it looked like it blocked out the neighborhood," Murphy said.Therooftop owners have previously
threatened legal action, and Murphy saidshe was confident their contract would hold up and protect
theirbusinesses.Commenting on the possibility that Ricketts mightreally take the team elsewhere, Murphy
said doing so would not be "awise business decision.""The reason the Cubs are such a
tourist destination … is because it’s a ballpark in a neighborhood," Murphy said."Idon’t
think a new ballpark in a parking lot is interesting and that’swhy other ballparks don’t have the
tourism that Wrigley Field does," shesaid.If Ricketts is serious about leaving, he already has
asuitor. Several weeks ago, the mayor of nearby Rosemont said that thevillage near O’Hare International
Airport has a 25-acre chunk of landthat the Cubs could have for free if they wanted to build a replica
ofWrigley Field there.While Mayor Bradley Stephens said the idea ofthe Cubs leaving Wrigley was the
longest of long shots, he wanted tomake sure that if the Cubs did decide to leave they knew about
theRosemount offer.Cubs fans said they doubted Ricketts would movethe team and that he most likely
raised the prospect out of frustrationwith the negotiations."I’m surprised it’s taken him this long
to snap," said Rick Kaempfer, who created the fan blog www.justonebadcentury.com .Hesaid he
shared those frustrations and wished the rooftop owners wouldback off and allow Ricketts to run the club
as he sees fit."Ithink we should trust this organization because they have shown overtime that they
take the history of Wrigley Field seriously and so farnothing they have done has diminished it in my
opinion," he said.Copyright 2013 The Associated Press.