Negotiations continue between the Tribune Company and a state agency over the sale of Wrigley Field. That’s according to former Illinois Governor Jim Thompson, who heads up the Illinois Sports Facilities Authority. An offer was expected last month, but Thompson says the state is still looking for ways to finance the purchase and renovation of the North Side landmark.
THOMPSON: I wouldn’t regard it as a snag in the negotiations, I just say that these are complex matters, and it involves a lot of money. And based on our desire to do it without using people’s tax money, we have to look for alternative sources of funding, and that’s what we’ve been doing.
Thompson declined to say what those alternative sources of funding might be. He also won’t set a time-line on the negotiations, but says the two sides have a general agreement on the purchase price. The Tribune Company did not immediately return calls for comment.