If you’ve been following the entire saga up until now, the general consensus is that the Chicago Bears are at a crossroads. They will either receive the final legislation needed to leave Soldier Field and begin construction in Arlington Heights, or they will accept Indiana’s offer to build a new stadium in Hammond. Nobody is sure which direction they’re leaning. The McCaskey family doesn’t want to leave Illinois, but the state government’s stalling in Springfield has worn their patience to dangerous levels. One more delay could push it over the edge.
In the midst of this standoff, someone is trying to make one last attempt to stop it all from happening. According to Fox News 32, a mysterious sponsor had Edward Peck Design concoct new renderings of a complete overhaul of Soldier Field. The idea was to turn it into a year-round venue that maximizes revenue while also addressing issues that have long made the stadium a problem. That includes expanding seating capacity, adding more luxury suites, and improving transportation access.
As the Chicago Bears weigh potential moves to Arlington Heights or Northwest Indiana, a new proposal is pitching a different future — keeping the team at Soldier Field with a major overhaul of the historic stadium.
The concept, released Thursday by architectural firm Edward Peck Design, outlines a plan to transform Soldier Field into a year-round venue with a roof and a new entertainment district along the lakefront…
…Designers say the goal is to keep the Bears at Soldier Field long term while turning the area into a destination beyond game days.
“Our client believes the existing Soldier Field site is the ideal location for a world-class venue,” said Edward Peck, managing director of Edward Peck Design…
…It’s not clear who asked Edward Peck Design to develop the proposal or whether the Bears or the Chicago mayor’s office have seen it. FOX Chicago has reached out for comment.
There’s also no word yet on who is backing the proposal, how much it would cost or whether it’s being seriously considered.
This Soldier Field idea still doesn’t account for the main problem.
The Bears’ desire to update the stadium has never been the issue. They’ve been pushing for it for years. The problem has always been the Chicago Park District. They own the property and have been resistant to every kind of proposal on improving both the building and the surrounding area. Part of it is the ongoing backlash from activist groups working to protect public land from private development. There is also the issue of money. Over $460 million is still owed from the last stadium renovation in the 2000s. Lots of people don’t want taxpayers saddled with this bill as well.
Some have argued that the way to get around this is by selling the property to the Bears. By owning Soldier Field, they would be responsible for paying the costs to renovate it. However, it doesn’t appear that the CPD is eager to allow that. They’ve already put forward a plan for a $630 million overhaul of the stadium property. All of this started because the Bears wanted more control over their destiny and more opportunities to improve their revenue-generation. A new stadium is the best way to do that.
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This new proposal feels utterly pointless.
Unless this mysterious third party has significant political sway inside Illinois power circles, this endeavor is a waste of time and money. The Bears are committed to their path. Either they will begin construction in Arlington Heights within the next few months, or they will negotiate with Indiana on doing the same across the border. They had already ignored the previous attempt by former mayor Lori Lightfoot to convince them that renovating Soldier Field was a more sensible option. It’s hard to imagine that much has changed since.
Maybe team president Kevin Warren might be open to the idea. He was the one who originally pivoted away from Arlington a couple of years ago to try pushing through a new downtown stadium. It’s clear he feels strongly about keeping the Bears in the city. The problem was always finding the necessary backing for infrastructure. That is now much more possible with the threat of Indiana lingering in the background. He may buy into this idea if he thinks it will benefit his owners as much as a new stadium would.
That seems unlikely, though.
