Ricketts Family Now Controls Majority of Wrigley Field Rooftops

The Ricketts family, who bought the Chicago Cubs and Wrigley Field in 2009, have further strengthened their hold on the ballpark's adjacent rooftop properties with the purchase of the Beyond the Ivy rooftop buildings at 1010 - 1038 W. Waveland and the Sky Lounge Wrigley Rooftop at 1048 W. Waveland, according to Danny Ecker of Crain's Chicago. After contentious battles with rooftop owners over revenue-sharing and Wrigley's addition of view-obstructing video boards, the Ricketts family started snatching up rooftop properties in January of last year with the purchase of 3639 N. Sheffield Ave., 3643-3645 N. Sheffield Ave. and 1032-1034 W. Waveland Ave. They further bolstered their rooftop portfolio with the acquisition of 3637 N. Sheffield, 3617 N. Sheffield and 3619 N. Sheffield in May of 2015. Today's news brings a total of nine rooftop operations controlled by the Wrigley Field owners and means the Rickettses now posses the overwhelming majority of the rooftop businesses flanking the ballpark's outfield.

The Ricketts family also has a financial stake in the Down the Line rooftop located at 3621 N. Sheffield and has ambitions of taking full control of that property in the future. All nine Ricketts-owned rooftops, plus Down the Line, will fall under the same "Wrigley Rooftops" logo and branding umbrella. A new ticket-selling site by the same name was launched to provide one-stop shopping for fans looking for a Cub's rooftop experience. With last year's addition of new bleachers and video boards, and plans for a new Wrigley Field plaza revealed in November, the 102 year old ball park continues to evolve.

·Ricketts family buys three more Wrigley rooftops, unveils new ticket site [Crain's]
·Ricketts Family Now Control Three More Wrigley Field Rooftops [Curbed Chicago]
·Ricketts Family Buys Three Wrigley Field Rooftop Properties [Curbed Chicago]
·Rumble at Wrigley archives [Curbed Chicago]