The U.S. attorney’s office in Chicago filed a lawsuit against the Chicago Cubs on Thursday, claiming the MLB team did not provide adequate access for people with disabilities following its renovations at Wrigley Field.
The lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, claimed the franchise made the countertops at concession and ticket stands too high for people in wheelchairs to reach, thus violating the Americans with Disabilities Act. It also claimed that no wheelchair-accessible seats were included in the stadium’s club level or premium seats.
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“Although this project significantly enhanced the gameday experience for many fans, particularly those able to take advantage of premium clubs and other luxury accommodations, the same cannot be said for fans with disabilities,” prosecutors said, according to ABC Chicago.
The suit additionally claimed the franchise placed wheelchair seating in the last row of the general admission areas when handicap seating previously gave people with disabilities a closer and unobstructed view of the field.
Renovations for one of the country’s oldest ballparks began in 2014 and cost the owners nearly $1 billion. The renovation included an expansion of the bleachers, improved suites and premium seating, and updated concession offerings, according to the organization’s website.
The franchise said it was disappointed in the lawsuit and argued that the stadium is more handicap accessible than ever before after adding 11 more elevators and increasing the number of accessible restroom facilities.
“We are disappointed in the decision by the U.S. Department of Justice to file suit and hope the matter can be resolved amicably, but we will defend Wrigley Field and our position it meets accessibility requirements for fans,” the team said. “The Friendly Confines today is more welcoming than ever to fans with accessibility needs.”
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The organization added that it has cooperated with the Department of Justice since it opened an investigation into the renovations in 2019 after a wheelchair-bound Cubs fan with muscular dystrophy brought a lawsuit.
Wrigley Field, which is the second-oldest MLB ballpark after Fenway Park in Boston, was designated a National Historic Landmark in 2020.
