Wrigley concert plan advancing
Proposal would allow Buffett gigs

By Gary Washburn
Tribune staff reporter

January 31, 2005, 10:47 PM CST

A measure that would permit the Cubs to host two Jimmy Buffett concerts at Wrigley Field is being drafted by city lawyers and could be ready for introduction at a City Council meeting next week, Ald. Thomas Tunney (44th) said Monday.

The proposal would come as an amendment to the ordinance that permits night games at Wrigley and would limit concert activity to two performances later this year, Tunney said.

The Cubs hope to book Buffett for shows during the Labor Day weekend but could not ask him to reserve the dates without having council approval well in advance.

"We are encouraged by the reaction we have gotten from our community, from the alderman," said Michael Lufrano, Cubs vice president of community affairs. "We know that introduction of an ordinance doesn't conclude the process. There is still discussion to take place with our neighbors both regarding how we would work with the community and our contribution to the schools."

The team has promised to provide at least $100,000 of the concert proceeds to neighborhood schools, a figure that Tunney said he hopes could increase to $150,000.

Anything above $100,000 would depend on the financial terms of the agreement negotiated with Buffett, Lufrano said.

Talks with Buffett "are still very preliminary, but based on the reaction from the city, we are going to move them forward," he said. "Scheduling is the first issue. We have to make sure Jimmy Buffett is available," but "I think he is interested in playing Wrigley Field and, along with many of our neighbors, we think it would be a great way to spend an evening."

Buffett performed last year at Boston's Fenway Park.

Wrigley Field and the Cubs are owned by Tribune Co., which also owns the Chicago Tribune.

The Cubs will be out of town for the Labor Day weekend, and some Wrigley-area residents have expressed concern about the influx of concertgoers, even if they are fans of the laid-back Buffett.

But overall, local community groups have been "mildly supportive" of a one-time event, Tunney said. They are reserving judgment about the possibility of future concerts until after they see how the Buffett shows are handled, he said.

Tunney is not a Buffett fan, but he said he believes two concerts would provide a boost for tourism downtown and in the Lakeview neighborhood.

"I think people are going to come for the weekend," he said. "This is a special type of fan, a more mature audience I think."

Ticket prices for the concert have not been set and a system for handling ticket sales has not been determined.

But if the concerts go forward, the Cubs have agreed to reserve 3,000 tickets for purchase by local residents.

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