Chicago Bears’ new stadium plans revealed, from roof to plaza and more originally appeared on NBC Sports Chicago
The Bears gave fans and all of Chicago a first look Wednesday at what they plan to build along the city’s waterfront, announcing everything from a location, to roofing plans, to green space and plaza details.
The team unveiled plans for more than just a stadium, but an entertainment center that could host Super Bowls, playoffs, concerts and more.
“We have the best museums in the country. We have the most beautiful lakefront. We have the most vibrant architectural design downtown. And this gives us the opportunity to bring it all together in the greatest city in the world,” says Bears. President and CEO Kevin Warren said this live during a press conference on Wednesday.
“We want to build a recreational and cultural campus to enhance the things we have here. We see that young students can study here in the park, [to] take the classrooms out of the classroom, out of the museums, and bring it into open space and bring it back to the museums and back to the classrooms,” he said, adding that there is an “opportunity to bid for the Super Bowl , for the Final Four, for college football playoffs, Big Ten championship games, concerts.”
“This will truly be an international destination [for] the Olympics, the World Cup,” Warren said.
The proposal offers fans and the city the first chance to see what the team is up to since making the move from the Arlington Heights property they previously purchased.
The Bears bought 326 acres of land in Arlington Heights last year and previously announced plans to build a new stadium there. But contentious property tax negotiations in the suburbs have become an obstacle to that plan. Earlier this year, the team said it was shifting its focus from Arlington Heights to the city.
“They are our team,” Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson said as he praised the team’s decision to turn their sights back on the city.
Renderings of the proposed new stadium include a “solid” roof, with the stadium sitting atop Soldier Field’s current South Parking lot. As for Soldier Field, the columns exist, but the stadium is gone. (View the full view here)
Among the new features highlighted by the team were:
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Extensive green and open space
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Added playing fields, creating safer places for youth and families to gather
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Public restrooms and food and beverage outlets to improve the park’s user experience
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Better infrastructure that improves access to Museum Campus
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A venue suitable for community events of all sizes all year round
One of the biggest questions from residents concerned financing the new plan. Johnson raised these concerns on Wednesday.
“I’m going to say that again just to make sure everyone understands,” Johnson said during the announcement. “This project will result in no new taxes for the residents of Chicago.”
The Bears previously committed to contributing $2 billion toward the construction of a new stadium in Chicago, but the project is expected to cost significantly more money, with estimates totaling $4.7 billion for the stadium and infrastructure needs. The team said their investment will cover 70% of the project’s financing needs.
The measure drew some criticism from the conservation group Friends of the Parks, which successfully sued to stop George Lucas from building a museum along the lakefront and previously opposed construction of a new stadium project on the Museum Campus.
Friends of the Parks declined comment ahead of the Bears’ announced news conference.
The Bears’ plans have also come under scrutiny from a separate effort by the Chicago White Sox to secure public financing for a stadium project in the South Loop. According to a recent report from Crain, the teams have been told there is little willingness among lawmakers to approve separate stadium financing plans and have urged the two teams to work together.
Warren and the Bears have said they are still happy to own the Arlington Park property, and officials there remain optimistic the team could return to the negotiating table.
“We are currently the largest landowner in Arlington Heights. 326 acres,” Warren said. “We own a beautiful piece of land. And I have great respect for Mayor Hayes and Randy Recklaus and all the politicians out there. My belief right now is that these projects are incredibly difficult. And just learning the different things that I’ve seen in Minnesota have done, you have to be laser focused. And right now we’re focusing our energy on downtown Chicago, on the museum campus, just from an energy and resource perspective. So we still own the land. We remain in communication with Arlington Heights, but the focus now must be on Chicago to give us the best chance for success.”
Arlington Heights officials said they will be ready if the Bears change their minds.
“There are many challenges ahead regarding the lakefront stadium in terms of funding and opposition from advocacy groups such as Friends of the Parks… We stand ready to continue discussions with the Bears if they receive a no get to the shore of the lake,” Mayor Tom Hayes told NBC Chicago.
He added that while the village respects the Bears’ plan to explore a lakefront stadium, they believe the Arlington Heights property is a better fit.
“Other than a lake that we don’t have on the Arlington Heights, I think anything else in the Arlington Heights is a better solution for them,” he said.
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