The Chicago Bears will unveil plans this week for a proposed state-of-the-art stadium on Chicago’s lakefront, the team announced Monday.
According to a press release, the Bears, “in collaboration with city officials and stakeholders,” will unveil the plans Wednesday, just one day before the NFL Draft begins.
After purchasing land in suburban Arlington Heights for a domed stadium project, the team changed course and now intends to build a “public” stadium on the city’s lakefront, located near his current home at Soldier Field.
In addition to the stadium, the Bears are also announcing plans for green, open lakefront space, with preserved shoreline access for families on the museum campus, according to the release.
The Bears’ plans have come under scrutiny as part of a separate effort by the Chicago White Sox to secure public funding for a stadium project in the South Loop. According to a recent Crain’s report, the teams were told that lawmakers were reluctant to approve separate financing plans for the stadiums, and urged the two teams to work together.
The Bears have pledged up to $2 billion in private financing for a stadium, but did not announce other financing details until Wednesday’s news conference.
Bears president Kevin Warren recently discussed the change in direction in the team’s plans during press briefings at NFL league meetings in Orlando.
Warren’s 30-minute interview with Chicago media focused primarily on the Bears’ efforts to build a new lakefront stadium, as opposed to the Arlington Heights location.
Listen to Kevin Warren’s full press conference
When asked about the Bears’ pivot to the lakefront and how big their plan is, Warren noted there’s still a long way to go, but he thinks things are moving in the right direction.
“All of these projects are, you know, that’s a good word. They require momentum. They require vision,” Warren said. “They require tenacity. They require a lot of thought and planning, but they also require momentum. And I firmly believe that we are bringing momentum to this museum field.
“So when you have that combination of the museum, the lakefront, the beach, the architecture and, above all, what makes Chicago special is the people. And so, when you can mix that “You get a lot of momentum, but it’s going to take a lot of work as we move forward.”
Warren and the Bears are happy to own the Arlington Park property, but their sights are toward downtown.
Chicago Bears President Kevin Warren revealed some candid answers about the future of a new stadium for the Chicago team. Sandra Torres reports.
“We are currently the largest landowner in Arlington Heights. 326 acres,” Warren said. “We own a beautiful piece of land. And I have great respect for Mayor Hayes, Randy Recklaus and all the politicians there. I believe right now that these projects are incredibly difficult. And just learning the different things I ‘ve done in Minnesota, you have to be focused And right now we’re putting our energy into downtown Chicago, the museum campus, just from an energy and resource standpoint. largest landowner. “I will remain in communication with Arlington Heights, but we must now focus on Chicago to give ourselves the best opportunity for success.”
Warren doesn’t view the change in direction as a waste of the Bears’ initial investment in the Arlington Park property.
“I think one of the things I would say, and especially in my position, is that I always have to live in a world of priorities,” Warren said. “So it’s good to own land. And when the time comes, we will determine what the best use of that land is. But for now, the energy and effort of our individuals internally, with our consultants and our landowners , are focused on Chicago.”
The Bears must overcome several obstacles to make the domed lakefront stadium a reality.
The first is to ensure a healthy, long-term relationship between the team and the park district. Given their turbulent history, this bridge might be more difficult to cross than it seems.
“I believe in people, I believe in relationships,” Warren said of the relationship between the park district and the team. “And even since I’ve been able to be here and spend time with individuals at Soldier Field, individuals in the park district, individuals in the city of Chicago, I’ve been nothing but welcome. And we’ve had a great relationship. And I think people saw that. They feel that. And I’m confident that when you have a common goal that people can focus on and come together, I’m confident that we’ll have a relationship. positive as we move forward.” And so one of the things that I promised myself when I started on April 17 of last year was that I was going to understand, appreciate and embrace the history of the Chicago Bears. and all relationships. But I didn’t have any tension or negativity. I’m going to move it forward.
Chicago Bears President Kevin Warren gave a candid look at the current status of the team’s plans to build a new stadium in Chicago, what it means for the future of their Arlington Heights property and more Again. Lexi Sutter reports.
“And so I started from scratch. And I think we not only have a great business relationship, but we’ve developed a personal relationship. And we work really well together. So I’m happy with how it’s worked out. past and I look forward to building stronger relationships in the future.
Regarding the idea that the lakefront project would require more than $1 billion in public infrastructure investment, Warren believes that investment, no matter the amount, is also good for the city of Chicago than to compete with other cities in the market.
“These are things that we’re working on. And one thing I can guarantee you is that I’m fiscally conservative and fiscally responsible,” Warren said when asked about public funding. “So anything we recommend, from a financial standpoint, will be very well thought out.”
Warren cited a Sports Business Journal article that Chicago was not listed in the “Top 25 Sports Business Cities” as proof that the investment is needed.
“But thinking about Chicago, you know, with this vast history, all the professional sports teams that we have, the beautiful landscape, the topography, all those things involved, known for being an incredible sports city. So that we’re not on this list, from a business standpoint, these are things that, as a citizen of downtown Chicago and the state of Illinois, these are things from a business standpoint that I I look forward to the day when events like (the NFL league meetings) should and can be and will be held in downtown Chicago.
The Bears will also face resistance from Friends of the Park, a preservation group known for protecting Chicago’s lakefront and parks. Friends of the Park successfully sued to stop George Lucas from building a lakefront museum and opposed the construction of a new stadium on the museum campus.
Friends of the Parks declined to comment ahead of the Bears’ announced news conference.
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