The Bears Say That They Are Committing $2 BILLION To A Chicago Lakefront Site For Their New Dome Stadium
“The Chicago Bears are proud to contribute over $2 billion to build a stadium and improve open spaces for all families, fans and the general public to enjoy in the City of Chicago,” Bears president and CEO Kevin Warren said in a statement provided by the team. “The future stadium of the Chicago Bears will bring a transformative opportunity to our region — boosting the economy, creating jobs, facilitating mega events and generating millions in tax revenue. We look forward to sharing more information when our plans are finalized.”
This is one of those times where I wish I understood real estate and/or could've been a fly on the wall when these ideas were being kicked around the boardroom at Halas Hall. $200M for Arlington just to walk away and a $2B investment into a new stadium that they still won't own. I really wish someone could make that make sense to me. We were told so many times that one of the biggest reasons to build in Arlington was because the Bears FINALLY wanted to own their own stadium and get all the revenue that comes with that.
Apparently that was all bullshit. Chicago just needed a new mayor and a the Bears needed a new president leading negotiations. After 13 months of posturing and negotiating we are right back where we started. A stadium on the lake. I have always said that if the Bears get it right it'd be cool to stay in the city. "Getting right" feels like a HUGE task. New parking, new, big stadium, new public transportation lines, new development of the area, etc. The Bears re-did Soldier Field 25 years ago and it sucked from Day 1. It feels like given the vast property of Arlington that there was more room for error, more room for revenue, and more room to dream about something incredible. Being surrounded by museums, major highways, and giant fucking body of water will always be a challenge for the Bears. Excuse me for being skeptical about the Bears' ability to get this right.
This vision, laid out by the last mayoral regime, looks sweet
Nice little news BOMB on the first day of free agency when you need to be planning your future around a QB.
I hope someone comes in and buys Arlington Park and restores the racetrack. It was a great track. One of the most beautiful in the country. We lost it just for 13 months of bullshit. Churchill Downs and Rivers have their hands dirty on this too. Just drove it into the ground. People want me to get over it. I never will. I love horseracing and now Chicago is deprived of having a great track. It sucks. Bring it back.
