While Mayor Rahm Emanuel has vocalized his support for carving out some of the cash-strapped city's budget to offset Wrigley Field renovations, Illinois Governor Pat Quinn seems more reluctant about pumping taxpayer money into the aging ballpark.
In an appearance on WLS's "Don Wade & Roma" morning talk show, Gov. Quinn came down hard on proposals for the state to chip in to help fund reconstruction for the Chicago Cubs' field.
"Our State has severe fiscal challenges so the very idea of the State of Illinois spending millions and millions of dollars on Wrigley Field, I don't think that's in the cards at all," Quinn said, before shifting responsibility onto team owners, the Ricketts family. "They bought the team and they should make the lion's share of the investment to fix up the park."
Mayor Emanuel has been singing a different tune. Although the city has its own share of budget woes this year, Emanuel has been advocating for the field's facelift as part of his plans to invigorate tourism in Chicago.
In advance of the Cubs' opening day, the mayor said the Ricketts and the city were in the "final stages," of striking a deal update bathrooms, kitchens and other amenities by allowing the stadium to reinvest some amusement tax funding. In turn, Emanuel wants a guarantee that the development will benefit the general public, whether by generating tourism revenue or reinvesting in the surrounding community.
See video below for more on planned Wrigley renovations: