The Bears' "elaborate plan to reclaim lakefront park
land" as they remodel Soldier Field will "cost more than"
$400M, "creating a funding gap of up to" $100M, according to
sources of Fran Spielman of the CHICAGO SUN-TIMES. The
$400M-plus price tag for a plan that includes "underground
parking garages, tunnel connections to lakefront museums and
a Lake Shore Drive underpass would make the plan nearly as
expensive as McDome -- the domed stadium near McCormick
Place." IL Gov. George Ryan, "who has promised to confine
the state's contribution to stadium infrastructure, will
have to be convinced that parking garages and museum tunnels
fall into that category before" expressing a willingness to
contribute public funds. Yesterday, Bears President Ted
Phillips "declined to put a price tag on a remodeled Soldier
Field, except to say that estimates provided by two sources
familiar with the negotiations are 'off.'" Phillips added
that the NFL's ability to provide a loan for stadium
construction gives the team "a bit more room to maneuver."
Phillips: "At this point, it's not to anybody's benefit to
talk about funding. We don't have an agreement with anybody
yet. We haven't met for a few weeks" (SUN-TIMES, 7/28).
