No Hibernating: Chicago Seeks To Boost Business At Soldier Field

Chicago Would Like Soldier Field To Host More Events

The Chicago Park District (CPD) "is looking to bring in more concerts, festivals and sporting events" to Soldier Field in an effort "to boost business" at the stadium, according to Jim DeRogatis of the CHICAGO SUN-TIMES. The current management deal with SMG expires March 1, and the CPD is "offering a five-year deal to manage and book" the field. Live Nation and Texas-based C3 Presents, the promoter behind Lollapalooza, are among the interested parties. SMG has operated Soldier Field since it reopened in '03, and the stadium brought in more than $10M to the city of Chicago and SMG last year. However, 70% of that came from the ten Bears home games. While the kind of events CPD is looking at is unknown, sources said that plans generally "call for more concerts, community-oriented gatherings, themed festivals, motor sports and other sporting events" (CHICAGO SUN-TIMES, 2/6).

LAKE SIDE PROPERTY: In Chicago, Manor & Bergen report developer Jerry Fogelson is planning a $4B project that would include "thousands of residences, a large office tower and a major hotel near McCormick Place." Fogelson said that the proposal, which would take more than ten years to complete, "would involve building over the Metra rail yard on the west side of Lake Shore Drive near Soldier Field." He added that the project is "independent of the city's bid for the [2016] Olympics," but the land is just north of the proposed Olympic Village site (CHICAGO TRIBUNE, 2/6).