Mayor Lori Lightfoot has unveiled a plan to put a dome over Soldier Field, she says in an effort to keep the Chicago Bears from moving 30 miles northwest to a bigger, newer home in the suburbs.
Last year, the National Football League team won its bid to purchase the 326-acre property of the old Arlington International Racecourse where the Bears now openly envision building a brand new stadium in northwest suburban Arlington Heights. The Bears’ intention to move comes after years of feuding with their landlord, the Chicago Park District, over leases and needed structural improvements on their home turf.
But in a Hail Mary at a news conference Monday, the mayor revealed three different options for the future of Soldier Field, two of which she said are meant to try to keep the Bears playing in the city.
One option puts a dome over the stadium. Another proposal prepares the stadium to be “dome ready.” And the third option forgoes a dome — and a future with the Bears entirely — to focus on enhancing the field for its other tenant, the Chicago Fire soccer team.
The first two options would also expand seating from 61,500 up to 70,000 seats, according to the proposals unveiled Monday. The plans were crafted by developer Bob Dunn, with Landmark Development, who’s known for his work with the Green Bay Packers and on other NFL stadiums.
“The redevelopment of this building … without question, is substantially less expensive than building new,” Dunn said Monday.
Either of the dome options would cost between $900 million to $2.2 billion, according to a press release. Lightfoot was unclear about where that money would come from, or how much it would cost taxpayers.
“The specifics of the dollars ultimately invested will vary depending on which scenario is ultimately chosen,” Lightfoot said. “We’re going to have to invest some of course, but the dollar amount really depends upon what the scenario is, and that’s going to be driven by who was the anchor tenant.”
Leaders at Monday’s event were not shy about the fact that the plans are meant to woo the Chicago Bears franchise.
“Plain and simple Soldier Field is the home of the Chicago Bears, and of all the fans and residents who love the game of football,” said Chicago Parks Superintendent Rosa Escareno.
Lightfoot said the city “is making a compelling case for the Chicago Bears to stay in Chicago.” But, she said, if the Bears choose to go, “Soldier Field will continue to be a premier multipurpose venue.”
She also said the city is in “active discussions” with other long-term tenants. When asked who alternative tenants could be, Lightfoot, without details or further explanation, alluded to the potential for another football team, saying “plenty of cities that have multiple, two NFL teams.”
Even if the Bears do leave the city limits, unveiling the plan at a news conference with civic leaders and department heads could allow the mayor, who is up for reelection, to point to the plan as evidence she made an effort to keep the NFL team.
But it’s still unclear whether a dome will actually be enough at this point for the Bears. The team says they are under a contractual agreement to explore a deal with the owner of the Arlington Heights property.
In response to a request for comment on the mayor’s proposals, a Bears spokesperson referred WBEZ to a statement the team issued earlier this month that reads, “The only potential project the Chicago Bears are exploring for a new stadium development is Arlington Park.”
The team’s statement was originally in response to a report issued by the city entitled “Where Worlds Connect.” It was prepared by a mayoral working group of 23 civic leaders that worked in conjunction with city departments, according to the report.
The group recommended, in part, the city explore the feasibility of enclosing the stadium to better utilize Soldier Field year round. While attendance ranges between 96,000-240,000 per month during the summer, those rates drop to 1,200 to 66,800 during colder months, the group said.
WBEZ has reported on the tense relationship between the Bears and the Park District over the stadium, and reported last year the Bears were locked in a rift with the Park District over the expansion of sports betting opportunities at Soldier Field, according to internal emails between the Bears and the Park District.
Just two weeks before the Chicago Bears publicly announced it was putting in a bid for the Arlington Heights property, the team’s president accused the Chicago Park District of refusing “to engage in good faith discussions” about expanding sports betting opportunities at the stadium.
While the state of Illinois passed a law legalizing sports betting in 2019, the Chicago City Council didn’t legalize the practice at the city’s five major sports stadiums until late last year, months after the Bears announced they were exploring a future in Arlington Heights.
The Bears’ impending move comes less than 20 years after the city broke ground on a renovation of Soldier Field that ended up costing $660 million.
While the Bears have a lease to play at Soldier Field until 2033, the Chicago Tribune reported the cost to the team’s bottom line to break that lease would amount to peanuts.
A new stadium — as expensive as it may be — could mean being able to seat more fans than the 61,500 capacity Soldier Field, a miniscule amount compared to other NFL stadiums.
Mariah Woelfel covers Chicago city government for WBEZ. Follow her @mariahwoelfel.
