CHICAGO — On Thursday, the Justice Department announced a settlement and consent decree with the Chicago Cubs, resolving alleged violations of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) at Wrigley Field.
In 2022, the Justice Department filed a lawsuit against the Cubs, alleging that its multi-year upgrade plan, known as “The 1060 Project,” discriminated against individuals with disabilities, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office of the Northern District of Illinois.
The 1060 Project, which began following the conclusion of the 2014 season, was a multi-year renovation and reconstruction plan that included structural upgrades, improved player facilities, fan amenities, outfield signage, outfield video boards, premier clubs, an upper-level outdoor concourse, expanded concessions, and improved restroom facilities.
However, in the lawsuit, the Justice Department alleged that the project discriminated against individuals with disabilities by failing to provide wheelchair users with adequate sightlines compared to standing patrons and by failing to incorporate wheelchair seating into the premium clubs and group seating areas.
As part of the settlement, the Cubs will have to make several remediations, in every area of the stadium, in order to ensure accessibility for people with disabilities.
“As a result of this settlement, baseball fans with physical disabilities will have vastly improved options at Wrigley Field — on par with those available to all other patrons,” Morris Pasqual, Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, said. “The Chicago Cubs are to be commended for working collaboratively with our office to find solutions, demonstrating their commitment to providing accessibility for people with disabilities.”
The remediations include the removal of all non-compliant wheelchair spaces and companion seats, which will be replaced with wheelchair spaces that offer improved views of the field and fully compliant sightlines.
The remediations will also include wheelchair spaces and companion seats in the premium club areas at the front of the grandstand, which will offer some front-row access for fans in wheelchairs for the first time.
In addition to the updated wheelchair spaces, the Cubs will also modify protruding objects along circulation paths in the stadium and ensure certain parking and shuttle services outside the stadium are ADA-compliant.
“The Americans with Disabilities Act requires that sports venues like Wrigley Field be accessible to people with disabilities,” Kristen Clarke, Assistant Attorney General of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, said. “The Justice Department is committed to ensuring that people with disabilities have full and equal access to public accommodations, including our ballparks.”
Cubs employees whose responsibilities involve contact with patrons with disabilities will also receive training on the settlement before each of the next three seasons.
In accordance with the consent decree, the Cubs will have to submit written reports detailing their compliance with certain obligations in the consent decree to government officials. Officials also retain the option to review compliance with the consent decree, which includes inspections of Wrigley Field at any time over the next three years.
According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office of the Northern District of Illinois, the claims resolved by the consent decree are allegations only and there has been no determination of liability.
The settlement and proposed consent decree are now headed to the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois for final approval.