Sources said that the plan also presumes that much of Soldier Field “would be torn down to create the additional promised green space”Getty Images
The Bears have “shifted their focus” to the parking area south of Soldier Field in their quest for a new domed stadium and will invest more than $2B in private money in a publicly owned stadium and park space, according to Fran Spielman of the CHICAGO SUN-TIMES. Sources said that plans call for “creating nearly 20% more open space than exists now, public plazas compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act, more landscaping and plantings and increased public access to the lakefront.” But the scant details released so far “raise many more questions than they answer” about how much the stadium would cost, how it would be financed and how much public money would be needed. Sources also said that the team is “touting a new poll” showing support for a publicly funded stadium that would keep the team in the city. Sources also said that the plan also presumes that much of Soldier Field “would be torn down to create the additional promised green space,” but where the money for that work would come from is another unanswered question. Spielman wrote the shift in focus from Arlington Heights is “significant.” But last Monday, there was no mention of how the Bears “might hope to develop the land around a new lakefront football stadium,” and perhaps most crucially, there was no mention of how the Bears would “fend off a likely court challenge from Friends of the Parks,” which has opposed any new building along the lakefront (CHICAGO SUN-TIMES, 3/10).
WORK TO BE DONE: Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce President & CEO Jack Lavin called the proposal "impressive and exciting." In Chicago, Robert McCoppin notes a city ordinance "generally prohibits private development on the lakefront." The team is expected to meet with Friends of Parks "soon to share its plans" (CHICAGO TRIBUNE, 3/11). In Chicago, Justin Laurence writes the Bears putting in over $2B in private funding while White Sox owner Jerry Reinsdorf is seeking a fully subsidized stadium costing over $1B "could put the baseball club in a bind as they sell their plan to state legislators." But while over $2B in private investment from the Bears -- made up of team equity and loans provided by the NFL -- "is significant, the total cost of the project would likely require hundreds of millions in taxpayer support" (CRAIN'S CHICAGO BUSINESS, 3/11).
POSITIVE POLLING: ESPN.com’s Courtney Cronin reports that a recent independent poll conducted by McGuire Research surveyed 500 registered voters living in the city of Chicago on several topics related to the construction of a new Bears stadium. According to the results, 80% of those polled supported a domed stadium that would host major events throughout the year on the museum campus, while 77% supported the proposed location due to the efforts to keep the Bears in the city of Chicago. The results concluded that more than six in 10 Chicagoans support using public money for a publicly owned stadium. A source said that should the Bears “succeed in their plan to build a new lakefront stadium,” the franchise will likely “put the Arlington Park property up for sale” (ESPN.com, 3/11).
