Yesterday, the Chicago Bears revealed a proposal for a new stadium that would sit next door to Soldier Field — their current home. The stadium would be a part of a bigger project that aims to transform Chicago’s lakefront. As part of the announcement, the franchise asked the public to help fund the project.
The current proposal projects $3.2 billion being the cost of the new stadium plus an additional $1.5 billion needed for infrastructure. Both the Bears and the city of Chicago stated the project could include a publicly owned hotel and also improve access to the Museum Campus.
“This is not an easy project, but Chicago doesn’t like it easy,” Bears president Kevin Warren said.
According to the team, the project would generate $8 billion for the Chicagoland region. With construction taking up to five years, the stadium would be built in three phases — and its footprint would be in the parking lot South of Soldier Field.
In the renderings shown to the public, Chicago’s new stadium would feature a translucent roof — similar to the look of SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles — and would maintain a view of Chicago’s skyline via large glass panels. Another major selling point during the unveiling was the ability for the new stadium to host major events such as the Super Bowl and Final Four.
“My administration insisted that any new project — especially one on public land — must deliver strong public benefit and public use for the City of Chicago, and I am pleased today that this plan does exactly that,” Mayor Brandon Johnson said.
While Johnson is in support of the project, the governor of Illinois is not.
“I remain skeptical about this proposal, and I wonder whether it’s a good deal for the taxpayers,” J.B. Pritzker told reporters Wednesday. “I’m not sure this is among the highest priorities for taxpayers.”
