The Chicago Cubs have settled a years-long federal lawsuit by agreeing to be under a three-year monitor as it works to expand wheelchair accessibility at Wrigley Field.
The U.S. Department of Justice sued the Cubs two years ago, alleging the team violated the Americans with Disabilities Act when it renovated Wrigley Field by not providing wheelchair users with seats “with adequate sight lines as compared to standing patrons.”
Pending approval from a federal judge, the Cubs will make “numerous remediations,” including removing current wheelchair spaces and seats and replacing them with ones that have “significantly improved views of the field,” according to a Justice Department news release.
The changes will be made in “every area of the stadium,” including a premium club in the Wrigley grandstand that will soon give fans with disabilities front-row access, according to the news release.
The Cubs will also remove obstructions along the ballpark’s walkways, ensure parking and shuttle services outside the stadium are ADA compliant and train employees working with fans with disabilities before each of the next three seasons.
The team’s progress will be monitored under a consent decree that allows federal officials to inspect Wrigley Field “at any time during the next three years,” according to the news release.
After the Ricketts family bought the Cubs, the team staged a years-long renovation of the historic ballpark called “The 1060 Project,” which added a jumbotron and pushed back its walls to expand seating.
But the project “discriminated against individuals with disabilities,” according to the justice department.
“As a result of this settlement, baseball fans with physical disabilities will have vastly improved options at Wrigley Field — on par with those available to all other patrons,” Morris Pasqual, the acting U.S. attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, said in a statement. “The Chicago Cubs are to be commended for working collaboratively with our office to find solutions, demonstrating their commitment to providing accessibility for people with disabilities.”
The 1060 Project started after the 2014 season and was completed in 2019.
In a statement, Cubs officials said the team believes Wrigley Field was already ADA compliant, with the 1060 Project increasing “accessible seating options” by over 50 percent and adding 11 new elevators, also noting the consent decree the team is agreeing to “does not assign liability.”
“Nonetheless, the consent decree reflects a joint commitment to achieving greater accessibility at the Friendly Confines. Wrigley Field is more accessible today than ever in its history and we are pleased to have come to this resolution with the Department of Justice,” the Cubs spokesperson said. “The club continues to make improvements via proactive outreach and direct feedback from fans with disabilities.”
