June 23, 2021
Committee on License and Consumer Protection
ORDINANCE
WHEREAS, The City of Chicago ("City") is a municipal corporation and a home rule unit of government under Section 6(a), Article VII of the 1970 Constitution of the State of Illinois; and
WHEREAS, Pursuant to an ordinance adopted by the City Council of the City (the "City Council") on December 11, 2013 and published in the Journal ofthe Proceedings ofthe City Council for said date at pages 71315 to 71355, the City authorized the execution of an agreement (the "Agreement") with the Chicago Cubs Baseball Club, LLC (the "Cubs") regarding, among other things, the scheduling of certain professional baseball games and Events (as defined in the Agreement) at Wrigley Field and the Cubs' compliance with certain neighborhood protection requirements; and
WHEREAS, The City and the Cubs executed the Agreement with an effective date of February 2, 2014; and
WHEREAS, Beginning in late 2019, a new and highly communicable type of Coronavirus, now commonly known as COVID-19, emerged and began to spread rapidly. Despite efforts to contain COVID-19, it continues to spread throughout Chicago and the State of Illinois; and
WHEREAS, Because the COVID-19 pandemic, gatherings of people were prohibited in 2020, resulting in no concerts in Wrigley Field that year; and
WHEREAS, Because ofthe COVID-19 pandemic, only a limited number concerts will take place at Wrigley Field in 2021, fewer than the number allowed under Section 4-156-430;
WHEREAS, The Cubs would like the City Council to consider allowing it a one-time departure from the foregoing limitations; namely, that the Cubs be allowed to host a concert at Wrigley Field on Thursday, September 16, 2021, thus allowing a concert on a Thursday night after Labor Day, which is prohibited by Section 4-156-430; and
WHEREAS, The one-event scheduling allowance provided by this ordinance is specifically and explicitly for one time only, and is of no precedential effect whatsoever; now, therefore,
BE IT ORDAINED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF CHICAGO:
SECTION 1. Notwithstanding Section 4-156- 430 of the Municipal Code of the City of Chicago ("Section 4-156-430"), and notwithstanding any use limitations imposed by the Night Game Ordinance, but subject to all other laws, rules, regulations, orders, and/or contracts, it shall be lawful to produce and present a musical performance after the hour of 8:00 P.M. that starts not earlier than 5:00 p.m. and concludes not later than 11:00 P.M. on Thursday, September 16, 2021, in the open air portion of any stadium or playing field that is not totally enclosed and contains more than fifteen thousand (15,000) seats where any such seats are located within five hundred (500) feet of one hundred (100) or more dwelling units as defined in Section 4-156-430(a) of the Municipal Code of the City Of Chicago.