Downtown Chicago remains in focus, Warren says – NBC Chicago

The Chicago Bears are actively pursuing plans to build a new stadium, and team President and CEO Kevin Warren outlined his ambitious agenda for the new year.

During a postseason press briefing, Warren said the Bears were still focused on building a new stadium in downtown Chicago, with their focus remaining on a site near the shores of Lake Michigan.

“The status is that downtown always remains the focus, (especially) the museum campus,” Warren said. “I feel like we’ve gained tremendous momentum. I have been here 20 months and we have made great progress.

Warren also reiterated his goal to begin construction on the new project within this calendar year.

“I remain convinced that the objective remains to ensure that the work is started in 2025,” he said.

In late 2024, Warren and the Bears reached an agreement with Arlington Heights officials over a property tax dispute over 326 acres of land the team purchased in the suburb with plans to build a stadium about 45 minutes from Chicago.

While Warren called the land a “fantastic property,” he noted that the team is still engaged in a Chicago stadium project at this time.

“We own 326 acres of beautiful land in Arlington Heights. It’s a fantastic property,” he said. “We were able to conclude the memorandum of understanding there, so the optionality exists.”

In 2024, the Bears unveiled plans for a new stadium along Lake Michigan, with a price tag of nearly $5 billion. The domed stadium would be built next to their current stadium at Soldier Field, and while the Bears would bring in just over $2 billion, they would also seek nearly $1 billion in bonds from Illinois Sports Facilities Authority, as well as a variety of funds to help develop infrastructure around the new stadium.

The plan would require approval from the city of Chicago and the state of Illinois, but it remains unclear how much political momentum exists to move the project forward. Mayor Brandon Johnson has expressed support for the project’s goals, but Gov. JB Pritzker, as well as House and Senate leaders, have been more lukewarm.

In addition to political considerations, the team could also face opposition from community groups, including Friends of the Parks, who have raised numerous questions regarding the stadium’s construction on the lakefront.

The group, whose mission is to keep the lakeshore “forever open, clear and free,” according to its website, has expressed opposition to the use of public land for the stadium.

“While we would like the Chicago Bears to remain in the city, we object to the site they have chosen and the ultimate cost to our city and our residents,” said Interim Executive Director Gin Kilgore. “Ensuring that Chicago’s lakefront remains forever open, clear and free is not the responsibility of one group, but the work of many. »

Groups also expressed concerns about reducing green space along the lake, while other activists pointed out that using public funds for a stadium could hurt the city’s finances.

A 2 percent hotel tax levied by the Illinois Sports Facilities Authority would raise nearly $900 million for the project, according to the Bears’ plans. This tax is currently being used by the Chicago White Sox to pay for the construction of Rate Field, with the Sox still exploring their options for a publicly funded stadium project as their ballpark lease expires later in the decade .