The Chicago Bears are shifting their focus to building a new stadium on Museum Campus, near Soldier Field, a source familiar with the plan revealed. The proposed publicly owned domed stadium would involve an investment exceeding $2 billion in private funding from the Bears, aiming to increase open space in the area by 20%. This additional space would include plazas, paths, landscaped areas, and lakefront access.
The move to create more public spaces is seen as an effort to appease preservation group Friends of the Parks, which has opposed previous development projects along the lakefront. A poll cited by a source showed that 66% of Chicago residents support a Museum Campus stadium over the team relocating to the suburbs, a plan the Bears had previously considered.
Bears President and CEO Kevin Warren confirmed the team’s commitment to staying in Chicago, highlighting the benefits the new stadium would bring, including economic growth, job creation, and increased tax revenue. The total cost of the project and the source of additional funding remain unclear.
The shift in focus comes after Illinois lawmakers urged the Bears and the Chicago White Sox, who are also seeking public funding for a new stadium, to collaborate on a single proposal. Governor J.B. Pritzker expressed skepticism about using public funds for these projects, emphasizing the need for a clear return on investment for taxpayers.
Complicating the funding request is the existing debt on both teams’ stadiums, with payments partially funded by the state’s hotel tax and Chicago’s share of the state income tax. The Bears’ decision to pursue a stadium in Chicago follows a tax dispute over their Arlington Heights property and Mayor Brandon Johnson’s election, who has expressed interest in keeping the team in the city.
The Bears continue to own the Arlington Heights property and pay over $6 million annually to play at Soldier Field under their lease, which extends through the 2033 season.
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