The Chicago Bears’ latest stadium development plan involves constructing a publicly owned domed stadium on Museum Campus, adjacent to Soldier Field on the city’s lakefront, as per an insider source. The team aims to inject over $2 billion in private funding into the project, anticipating a 20% expansion of open space in the area.
This expanded space would encompass plazas, paths, landscaped areas, lakefront access, and more. The initiative appears designed to address concerns from the preservation group Friends of the Parks, which had previously thwarted George Lucas’s museum project on the lakefront.
An internal poll, cited by a source familiar with the Bears’ plan, indicates that 66% of Chicago residents support a Museum Campus stadium over the team relocating to the suburbs. Initially, the Bears had focused on a suburban move, having acquired 326 acres in Arlington Heights in February 2023 for a stadium district. However, the team’s President and CEO, Kevin Warren, confirmed the new intention to stay in Chicago, emphasizing a contribution of over $2 billion to build the stadium and enhance open spaces.
The total cost of the development and the source of additional funding remain unclear. This shift in focus coincides with Illinois lawmakers instructing the Bears and the Chicago White Sox to collaborate on a unified proposal for state funding. Governor J.B. Pritzker expressed skepticism about substantial public funding for either stadium, emphasizing the need for a proven return on investment for taxpayers. Complicating matters is the outstanding debt on both teams’ existing stadiums, owed by the Illinois Sport Facilities Authority.
The Bears’ change in direction also follows a recent property tax dispute over the Arlington Heights site. The Cook County Board of Review ruled on the Bears’ appeal, valuing the property at just under $125 million, leading to a tax bill of approximately $9 million. This dispute, along with uncertainties related to property tax and infrastructure funding, played a role in reevaluating the option of building a stadium in Chicago.
Other factors contributing to the reconsideration include the election of Mayor Brandon Johnson, who expressed interest in retaining the Bears in the city.
The relationship between the team and the previous administration, particularly regarding the city’s refusal to consider a sportsbook at Soldier Field, also played a role in revisiting the Chicago stadium option. Despite these developments, the Bears still own the Arlington Heights property, and their lease at Soldier Field runs until the end of the 2033 season, with an annual payment exceeding $6 million.
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