Staying current is easy with Crain's news delivered straight to your inbox, free of charge. The centerpiece is a dome, made of steel and translucent plastic, that would slide over the top of the grass playing field in bad weather. The state is swimming in debt and may be helping the Sports Facilities Authority dig out of its Soldier Field hole for some time. Dont miss the opportunity. Latest Bears stadium legislation would add $3 to ticket prices at Here are the released renderings of a proposed "Dome" renovation of Soldier Field released by the Mayor's office today. Arlington Park owner expects 'world-class' Bears stadium, Mayor Lightfoot explores a stunning change to Soldier Field, At Harley-Davidson, a repo shortage is hitting the bottom line, Mayor-elect Brandon Johnson names more appointees to transition subcommittees, Booth, Kellogg top the U.S. News ranking of best MBA programs, Big Fulton Market apartment project moves forward with $125 million loan, New lawsuit over 'brazen' moves in Maple & Ash restaurant feud. While the cost of each option must be refined based on a finalized scope, it is anticipated they will range from $900M to $2.2B - significantly less costly than building a new stadium. CHICAGO (WLS) -- As All rights reserved, Pat McAfee Against City Putting a Dome Over Soldier Field, Former Bears Kicker Robbie Gould Supports Bears' Departing Soldier Field, How Much Could You Get in New $725M Facebook Settlement? In an email, team Executive Vice President Scott Hagel said the team would stand by its statement of July 7, when Lightfoots lakefront panel first urged that she consider a dome. It might happen at a used car lot. Dramatically expand the opportunity for major sponsorships and naming rights. Having opened in 1924, with renovations taking place in 2003, Soldier Field is the home of the Chicago Bears of the National Football League and Chicago Fire FC of Major League Soccer. By anchoring a dome on four super columns at the fields endzones, The answer is very clear. But should Bears choose to stay in our city, Soldier Field will be a top 10 tier stadium with a number of new features. LAKE FOREST, Ill. -- Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot revealed three proposals on Monday for renovations to Soldier Field to entice the Bears to remain at their home stadium of the past 50 years. PHOTOS: Soldier Field through the years - WGN-TV And while the city has said that it intends to fight to keep the Bears at Soldier Field, the Bears continue to moved forward in purchasing the site of the former Arlington Rack Track, telling the Daily Herald earlier this month that that "the only potential project the Chicago Bears are exploring for a new stadium development is Arlington Park.". In the event that 10,000 cars parked at the game, the Bears would make a whopping half a million dollars off of parking alone for one game. Create more flexible event space and multi-purpose venues including up to 4 venues with capacity ranging from 5,000 to 60,000 or more. The base has 38 barracks buildings with six under renovation, Gardner said. Expand seating from 61,500 seats up to 70,000 total seats including additional fan activation areas. on This Day - Soldier Field | History, Events, Renovation, & Facts | Britan All three options would preserve the stadium's iconic colonnades, while expanding capacity from 61,500 seats to 70,000 seats. Lightfoot did not say much about how the cost of the workestimated at $900 million to $2.2 billionwould be funded, though stadium naming rights and 22 other corporate sponsorships are on the table. Lightfoot did not say much about how the cost of the workestimated at $900 million to $2.2 billionwould be funded, though stadium naming rights and 22 other But oddly, it calls for adding only seven new suites, a big money-maker at other sports arenas around the country. Any time you lose money, its disappointing. The Chicago Bears have been trying to leave Soldier Field for 50 years. The Bears had seven digital video screens installed inside the stadium, including high-definition scoreboards in each end zone, in 2015. However, it makes no sense to spend the money to "improve" the building if the changes won't meet the requirements that the structure needs. New proposals for Soldier Field's potential renovations have been released. E-mail oureditor An improved Soldier Field will deliver a world-class visitor experience, said Mayor Lightfoot. Lightfoot said she last talked to Bears chairman George McCaskey two weeks ago and told him about these plans, though she did not say anything about his level of interest. Ticket sales and other revenue from Bears games would pay off the bonds and the Bears portion of the funding. Under the first option, the stadium would be enclosed by rebuilding both ends of the stadium with columns that can support a dome. The mayor also added that she wanted the Bears to focus on more important things, like beating the Packers. section: | slug: bears-one-step-closer-to-ditching-downtown-chicago-after-making-major-land-purchase-35-miles-outside-of-city | sport: football | route: article_single.us | This expert team has done an impressive job bringing these three options to life, said Martin Cabrera, CEO of Cabrera Capital. Each of the proposals would create not only an exceptional experience for fans and concertgoers but would also enhance the public amenities for the entire Museum Campus.. Plummer worked with the first-team defense at practice this week, and will be back in action Sept. 22 against Carolina after San Franciscos bye week. Heres What A Soldier Field Dome Could Look Like Under Mayo New Bill Aims to Jump-Start Bears Stadium Negotiations The Bears will be given time to kick the tires on the citys proposal, but there is no deadline, she said. Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information, Dodgers vs. Philadelphia Phillies: How to watch, start times and betting odds, Elliott: Pissed off Kings must improve in key areas to break Oilers playoff stranglehold, Shohei Ohtanis seventh home run of the season helps Angels avoid sweep, Florida Panthers upset record-setting Boston Bruins in Game 7 OT thriller. Proceeds from the $3 admission tax would go to help pay off debt incurred to fund renovations of Soldier Field two decades ago. The main reason behind Mayor Emanuel's desire to renovate is likely his desire to bid for the 2019 Super Bowl. Building their own stadium also would give them full control over their home arena, rather than having to rely on a lease with the Park District for Soldier Field. Here's What We Know So Far, This 28-Year-Old Pays $62 a Month to Live in a Dumpster He Built for $5,000Take a Look Inside, 25-Year-Old Makes $200/Hour Without a Bachelor's Degree: I Work Less Than 6 Hours a Day', Mayor Lori Lightfoot Asks Texas Gov. May 27, 2021 7:20 am CT On Wednesday, NFL owners approved a couple of Soldier Field renovation projects for the Chicago Bears. Sign up for our newsletter and have updates delivered to your inbox! Expand the opportunity for major sponsorships and naming rights. Though after the 2003 renovations were finished, the U.S. government thought the stadium had been changed so much that it was taken off of the National Register of Historic Places. Discover another part of the world. And a retractable roof would be architecturally challenging, if not impossible. A renovation of Soldier Field about 20 years ago essentially consisted of building a new seating bowl structure within the confines of the original 1924 stadiums outer walls. It reduced the stadiums capacity but gave the Bears many other things they wanted. Prep Rally is devoted to the SoCal high school sports experience, bringing you scores, stories and a behind-the-scenes look at what makes prep sports so popular. Jason S. Parini can be followed on Twitter: @JasonPariniBR, off of the National Register of Historic Places. Originally constructed in 1924, Soldier Field has been home to the Bears since 1971. 2004-2023 CBS Interactive. Greg Abbott to Stop Bussing Migrants to Chicago. Move back to Wrigley Field? You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times. ), Albert Breer (@AlbertBreer) May 26, 2021. Based on that, Soldier Field can transition to becoming a dome, Dunn said. Daley said the renovation would be financed with $175 million from the Bears, $160 million in taxes on hotel stays and restaurant meals in Chicago, and $60 million from Soldier Field revenue bonds. Missing Crain's in print? A renovation of Soldier Field in 2004 cost $690 million,according to theChicago Tribune, and a renovation now would likely cost even more. If the Bears aren't ready to buy the lease out in 2026, the fee would actually go down each year through 2033. Any of these options has enormous potential to spur economic growth for Chicago and contribute to making the Museum Campus a global, year-round destination.. The Bears even went as far as selecting an architect to design a west-side stadium, which would have put three of Chicago's five main sports teams within a few hundred feet of each other. The mayor emphasized that options one and two "make Soldier Field a top tier NFL stadium with tremendous opportunity for the Bears to fulfill their vision.". Soldier Field Now, whether hes able to play the whole game or not remains to be seen.. You'll now receive the top Bears Wire stories each day directly in your inbox. Soldier Field | History, Events, Renovation, & Facts It also would allow them to reap the full benefits of stadium naming rights, as well as any other events held at a team-owned arena, such as concerts. While clearly some members of (Lightfoots) Reimagining the Lakefront Working Group worked closely with the mayor to devise this plan, Friends of the Parks was not invited to be part of any vetting of actual plans for a dome at any time, even though it was a member of the group, Juanita Irizarry said. Just ten years removed from the extensive $660 million renovations of the Believe it or not, the stadium actually lost 5,000 seats when the Bears and Chicago renovated the landmark in 2003. Who would pay for it? Rebuild both endzones with columns to make the stadium dome ready. This is clearly a negotiating tactic that the Bears have used before," Lightfoot said at the time. CHICAGO Mayor Lori E. Lightfoot today announced proposals for renovations of Soldier Field, a crown jewel of both Chicago and our celebrated lakefront Museum Mayor Emanuel and the Bears need to work together to make Soldier the best possible stadium for both the fans and team as well as the city as a whole. Latest Bears stadium legislation would add $3 to ticket Despite the lack of details on the deal and whether it would be palatable to taxpayers, Lightfoot said the Bears would be foolish not to consider the offer and hinted the same deal is on the table for any other team looking to move. To this end, we maintain a strong working relationship with Rosa Escareno, the new Chicago Park District General Superintendent, her staff, and the ASM Global management team.". With the team's purchase agreement now in place, Lightfoot might start taking the Bears' threat to leave more seriously, but in reality, it's probably too late for that. The Arlington Park site, which is 30 miles northwest of Soldier Field, could be the site of a new stadium for the Bears in the future. CBS Sports is a registered trademark of CBS Broadcasting Inc. Commissioner.com is a registered trademark of CBS Interactive Inc. site: media | arena: nfl | pageType: stories | Option 2: First published on July 25, 2022 / 2:37 PM. The 2002 renovation of Soldier Field cost $660 million, $432 million of which was funded by the city's hotel tax, and the bonds issued to finance that project are still being paid off. Aside from whether or not the proposed dome would be enough to convince the Bears to say, the mayor's proposal does not answer another important question. "As part of our mutual agreement with the seller of that property, we are not pursuing alternative stadium deals or sites, including renovations to Soldier Field, while we are under contract. Create more flexible event space and multi-purpose venues including up to four venues with capacity ranging from 5,000 to 60,000 or more. Add six new major club and experiential areas, none of which exist in Soldier Field as it stands today. Perhaps a retractable roof would have even been a better solution. Everything else is noise.". They also had two sideboards posted along the outside of the stadium by the statues of Halas and Payton. Yet another reason why the original plan wasn't so great. All options include major programmatic changes and concourse space improvements and, most importantly, preserve historical components of Soldier Field including the colonnades. Soldier Field after renovation One big downside to Soldier Field is that it's the smallest stadium in the NFL. The 2002 renovation of Soldier Field cost $660 million, $432 million of which was funded by the city's hotel tax, and the bonds issued to finance that project are still being paid off. As part of a In Chicago, meanwhile, two architects who worked on Soldier Fields $660 million renovation bankrolled by bonds that wont be fully repaid until 2032 said only modest expansion is possible at the 61,500-seat stadium, the NFLs smallest. "It's important to note that each of these scenarios will allow us to continue benefitting from Soldier Field regardless of whether or not the Bears choose to stay or go - and of course we hope that they choose to stay. Soldier Field was built in 1924, and was originally named Municipal Grant Park Stadium. Three concepts for Soldier Field renovations. Click here to get the full experience on your screen. This plan is essentially the same, with a few major additions. Why the Soldier Field Renovations Were a Mistake for the We expect that the City will find that it is infeasible, whether because of public pushback or potential litigation by us or others.. The Bears announced on Wednesday that they have entered a purchase agreement to buy the Arlington International Racecourse property, which is located in Arlington Heights, Illinois, a suburb that sits roughly 35 miles outside of downtown Chicago. Rendering of a proposal to renovate Soldier Field with a dome and thousands of new seats. The Chicago Tribune did some digging back in July and found that the Bears would be able to get out of the lease in 2026 by paying a penaltyof $84 million. "What we are doing is making a compelling case for the Bears to stay in Chicago.". "I've seen a couple of reports [of a possible move] but a couple of data points that I think you should be aware of are the Bears have a lease with Soldier Field until 2033 and the NFL doesn't let any teams break their leases," Lightfoot said at the time. How Palm Springs ran out Black and Latino families to build a fantasy for rich, white people, 17 SoCal hiking trails that are blooming with wildflowers (but probably not for long! Plummer suffered the wrist fracture in the exhibition opener against Denver, and the injury brought an end to his playing streak of 133 consecutive regular-season games dating to 1987, when he was with San Diego. "We have informed the City of Chicago that we intend to honor our contractual commitments as we continue our due diligence and predevelopment activities on the Arlington Heights property. NFL owners approve two Soldier Field renovation projects
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