Cicero Cubs? Larry Dominick throws hat in the ring for new Chicago Cubs home

CICERO – The town of Cicero is known for many things, but being the home of a major league baseball team is not one of them ... yet.

In a letter to Chicago Cubs owner Tom Ricketts released today by the town of Cicero, Town President Larry Dominick offers yet another option for the team should the Cubbies decide to look for a new home.

The following is Dominick's letter to Ricketts printed in full:

Mr. Tom Ricketts,

As you may know l have been a lifelong Cub fan and my biggest sports hero was Ron Santo. I had a great deal of appreciation for his dedication to and respect for the game and a tremendous admiration for his class of character as well as the level of discipline that it took for him to succeed in baseball and life while dealing with JDS. With a hero like this it is easy to see how someone would become a loyal Cub fan for life. Like many fans, and as | have read you yourself, I believe that it is disgraceful that your team and Cub fans find themselves being forced to accept a stadium that was built to accommodate the game and fan of 100 years past. It is disappointing to see that a once blighted neighborhood that was brought back to life based on the fact that Wrigley Field existed would fight so hard against the betterment of your facility and your organization.

It is as a Cub fan that | want to see your organization succeed and become World Champions and long-term contenders, but it is as an Elected Official that respects and appreciates the contributions and opportunities that your organization's existence creates, that I would like to see that happen with your new ballpark located here in Cicero. As I am sure you continue negotiations with the City to renovate Wrigley Field and have received other invitations to relocate to near suburbs, l wanted to extend to you an open welcome to the Town of Cicero.

As a lifelong Cub fan I do understand and have great reverence for the history and nostalgia of Wrigley Field. I have enjoyed many, many memories and witnessed the play of many of my baseball heroes* I do however understand the reality of the world and baseball today and know for a team to be competitive it takes a full complement of resources to support that success.

The Town has a number of tremendous assets that would make Cicero a great place for a new state of the art baseball facility to house the Cubs. We have over 50 acres of land that the Town would intend to assemble and convey to the Cubs. The Town would support the creation of a Planned Unit Development to facilitate all of the needs of the facility, including any sized jumbo-tron and a more than adequate amount of parking. The Town has a built in work force available through its hard working residents. The location of the Town is ideal for easy travel as there is access from both I-55 and  a 10 minute travel time from the loop. Cicero has been named in the top 10 safest cities in the country with a population of over 70,000 in each of the past 2 years. And with our location to Chicago, neighboring on three sides, the Team would have no problem keeping the name "Chicago Cubs."

Relocating to Cicero would give the Cubs the ability to offer Cub fans the experience they deserve, with all of the amenities and convenience that they have been kept from for so long.

I believe that Cicero can make this offer because I truly understand what benefits your presence will bring to our community.

I hope you will give serious consideration to our offer.

Larry Dominick

Cicero Town President

And lifelong Cubs fan