The "hard-fought rules restricting operating hours and access" to Gallagher Way, the open-air plaza adjacent to Wrigley Field, "will remain in place until March 29 to give the Cubs and the local alderman time to figure out" a solution, according to Fran Spielman of the CHICAGO SUN-TIMES. Chicago Alderman Tom Tunney yesterday said that he is "still open to allowing liquor sales on the plaza and is willing to discuss allowing the plaza to stay open longer than one hour after Cubs games end." However, Tunney branded the Cubs' long-standing hopes of allowing fans without game day tickets onto the plaza as a "non-starter." Tunney: "It's a concern about the extra 4,000, which is the occupancy, plus 41,000, police control, control of the street, getting people in and out." On changes beyond liquor sales, Tunney said, "There's some ambiguity as to what is a special event. We're gonna really try to flush that out so there's very little question." Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot has said that she "hopes to broker a compromise that would loosen the reins just a bit and give the Cubs more freedom to use the plaza" (CHICAGO SUN-TIMES, 12/5).
