Soldier Field coffers to chime sans Bears

Image: Soldier Field, Johnmaxmena2, CC BY-SA 3.0

Will the National Football League (NFL) team Chicago Bears pack their bags for the now demolished Hoosier State Dome at Hammond in Indianapolis, Indiana, US?

‘fox32chicago.com’ stated that or will they finally agree with the lawmakers on a package to kickstart the project on the land they own in Arlington Heights (a village in Cook County, Illinois, United States)?

The 62,500-capacity Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago (US). The Bears compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) North Division.

The 62,500-capacity Soldier Field (historically often referred to as the Soldiers’ Field) is a multipurpose stadium on the Near South Side of Chicago, Illinois, United States. Opened in 1924, the stadium has served as the home of the National Football League (NFL) team Chicago Bears since 1971 as well as the Major League Soccer (MLS) team Chicago Fire FC since 2020.

The 55,531- RCA Dome (originally the Hoosier Dome) was a domed stadium in Indianapolis (US). It was demolished on December 20^th, 2008, as part of a project to expand the attached convention center.

‘fox32chicago.com’ further stated that wherever the Bears end up the City and the State officials are laying the groundwork for a Bears-less future at the Soldier Field. The Members of the Chicago Park District have been quietly pitching a plan for the 101-year-old stadium to the State lawmakers and the Governor’s office in recent weeks.
 

What we Know:

The plan involves transforming the stadium into a massive concert and special event venue and it carries an expected price tag of $630 million, according to a draft of the presentation.

Sources say that the money breaks down to $130 million in direct stadium renovations including a new sound system and new dressing rooms and half a billion in the surrounding infrastructure to tackle traffic management and parking.

The Park District officials say a chunk of the cost could be covered by the Bears – who will owe nearly $90 million if they break their lease with the Park District before 2033. The Park District officials are pitching the State lawmakers on a funding package that would include money from the State’s road fund – paid for by the motor fuel taxes – to help with the infrastructure upgrades.

The Chicago Park District spokesperson Michelle Lemons did not confirm or deny the talks but sent a lengthy statement that reads in part, “Our responsibility is to ensure that Chicago’s lakefront stadium continues to serve as a strong public asset that supports park programming and maintenance across the City, the vital public services and the broader tourism economy anchored by the Museum Campus.”

The Governor of Illinois JB Pritzker also released a statement, “The door with Illinois remains open. We have made real progress with the Bears on an agreement which addresses affordability, infrastructure and property tax fairness but given their surprise announcements in Indiana we have to keep all options on the table that ensure we are responsible stewards of the taxpayers’ dollars and preserve the opportunities to attract economic activity.”

According to the internal Park District figures the Bears account for less than 20 percent of the revenue generated by the stadium. The rest comes from the outside events like the concerts, the international soccer matches and a year-round parking garage used for people visiting the Museum Campus.

Said the former Chicago Park District head honcho David Doig, who negotiated the current Bears lease with the district, “The future of Soldier Field is very bright, with or without the Bears.”

Doig now runs the non-profit Center for Neighborhood Initiatives.

Added Doig, “There’s an opportunity for more concerts, special events and the additional concerts will more than cover that revenue loss.”

The current lease also prohibits the stadium from hosting any non-Bears event within five days of a home game. That means a Bears loss could open the door for a busier August and September and a more accessible Soldier Field all year.

Continued Doig, “One of the missed opportunities we had in the early 2000s was to make it more of a Central War Memorial as it was originally built. So, I think there are ways to open it up to the public to make it more of a destination for the people coming to the Museum Campus which could also generate more revenue.”

Doig is part of a private effort advocating a permanent Veterans Memorial and a Chicago Sports Hall of Fame to be housed at the Soldier Field.
 

Dig Deeper:

The plan comes as the City is still on the hook for half a billion in debt related to the cost of the stadium’s 2003 renovation. That debt is paid for by a two percent hotel tax. The Park District sources have pitched the lawmakers on the importance of big concerts that drive hotel occupancy which, in turn, generates the revenue to pay off the debt.

The Park District officials say a weekend of the American singer Beyoncé concerts alone last Spring netted $85 million in hotel revenue.

The representatives of the Governor’s Office, the Chicago Park District, the Illinois Sports Facilities Authority, and the Illinois General Assembly declined to speak on the record to protect what they say are sensitive negotiations.

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