Chicago’s U.S. Attorney’s office sued the Chicago Cubs on Thursday over the team’s recent years-long renovation of Wrigley Field, aiming to force the North Siders to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act.
The lawsuit alleges that, amid the renovation of the century-old ballpark, the Cubs failed to provide wheelchair users with adequate sightlines compared to standing patrons, or incorporate wheelchair seating in new premium club and group seating areas.
According to our news partners at WAND-TV the feds say the Cubs designed and constructed general admission wheelchair seating so that it is largely clustered in the last row of seating sections — violating ADA standards — and failed to remove architectural barriers in unaltered portions of Wrigley where possible.
In a letter Cubs attorneys contended the renovation of Wrigley actually “significantly increased the accessibility of the ballpark,” and it added that ADA compliance “is of critical importance to the Cubs.”