City officials call for Wrigley inspection after falling debris

CHICAGO (AP) – Officials have called for a “100 percent hands-on inspection” of Wrigley Field’s upper deck and mezzanine levels after two reported incidents of falling debris in less than two months.

The Chicago Buildings Department will send a letter to Chicago Cubs management setting a 30-day deadline to submit a report, department spokesman Jack Beary said.

“The whole ballpark needs to be inspected,” Beary said.

A Plainfield man said he and his 5-year-old son had a close brush Friday when they went to see a Chicago Cubs game at Wrigley Field.

Jeff Reach, 59, said he and his son and wife were walking up an aisle after the game when a chunk of concrete fell from a tier above them, nearly striking the boy. Reach said the jagged chunk was about six inches long and three inches thick.

That incident was on the third-base side of the park, Beary said.

Another fan reported on June 9 that he saw falling debris along the first-base side, Beary said. No one was injured.

Wrigley was inspected in the off season by a structural engineer and is examined “on a regular basis” by another contractor that performs maintenance and repairs, said Mike Lufrano, Cubs vice president for community affairs.

“We always try to identify any issues before they happen,” Lufrano said.

Friday’s incident was isolated and related to loose concrete around a rod that holds a downspout in place, Lufrano said.