The Chicago Bears find themselves locked in a battle with the city of Chicago over a new stadium. Mayor Lori Lightfoot presented the city’s latest proposals on Monday in an attempt to convince the NFL franchise to stay in the city rather than move to an alternate site in nearby Arlington Heights.
Lightfoot unveiled three proposals on Monday for renovations to Soldier Field, with the centerpiece being the addition of a dome to the lakefront stadium originally built in 1924.
The first option would fully enclose the stadium and include a complete rebuild of the end zones in order to accommodate the dome. The second option would require both end zones to be rebuilt with columns to make the stadium capable of having a dome. The third option calls for modifications to make Soldier Field a multipurpose stadium, which would make it a potential home for soccer matches, concerts, and more.
The new proposal would also increase seating from 61,500 seats to 70,000, increase the number of suites from 133 to 140, and quadruple food and beverage space. The proposals would also “dramatically expand the opportunity for major sponsorships and naming rights.”
🧵It will also make Soldier Field a top-tier NFL stadium with tremendous opportunity for the Bears to fulfill their vision. pic.twitter.com/axdy9PeyNg
— Archived: Mayor Lori E. Lightfoot (@mayorlightfoot) July 25, 2022
“An improved Soldier Field will deliver a world-class visitor experience,” Lightfoot said in a statement. “Furthermore, any of these proposed renovations will allow Soldier Field to retain its role as an economic engine for Chicago for years to come, as these changes will allow us to keep bringing sports, music, and other exciting events to our city.”
The Bears have threatened to leave Soldier Field and have already signed a $197.2 million purchase and sale agreement with Churchill Downs Inc. for the Arlington Park property in suburban Arlington Heights in order to build a new stadium. On Monday, the team says they stand by their previous statement that while they intend to honor their contract with the city of Chicago, they are currently only looking to Arlington Heights for their future stadium home.
Of course, depending on how much the city is willing to do for the Bears, including pay for the bulk of the new stadium, that would likely sway the NFL franchise to stay. However, as the Bears don’t own Soldier Field, the idea of moving to a new home that they own themselves likely sounds more lucrative to ownership.
While we wait to see how this process plays out, the NFL world certainly had some strong reactions to the new proposals.
These renderings for a Soldier Field renovation look stunning but nothing the City of Chicago does can fix the main issue — the Bears don’t actually own the stadium. That’s why they’re buying the Arlington Park site. https://t.co/o8bBY62U4Y
— Brandon Koretz (@BrandonKoretz) July 25, 2022
every new stadium is a just Jerry World variant https://t.co/i88BzlGcVW
— Mike Golic Jr (@mikegolicjr) July 25, 2022
Looks like the best stadium in the NFL to me. https://t.co/OOOBEE63js
— Mark Carman (@thecarm) July 25, 2022
https://twitter.com/38Godfrey/status/1551657027990069249
Now show us what it would look like in December lol https://t.co/z7HjIZUI2E
— Will Blackmon (@WillBlackmon) July 25, 2022
Putting a dome over the Bears would be a downright tragedy, just put a new coat of paint on it https://t.co/Ick1C6tJFl
— Luke Braun (@LukeBraunNFL) July 25, 2022
For what it’s worth, Lightfoot also noted that even if the Bears decide to leave the city, they could still make this renovation happen in order to attract a second NFL franchise to Chicago.
Mayor Lori Lightfoot says a Soldier Field dome is possible for another anchor tenant and notes plenty of cities have two NFL teams. Make of that what you will.
— Gregory Royal Pratt (@royalpratt) July 25, 2022
