Soldier Field renovation mockup

[MJWalker45]

1 minute ago, TrueYankee26 said:

He is in Barca now but it would have been huge for the Polish community in Chicago if they had gotten him  

I figure the earliest this could be done is 2026 but I think that would also require moving to Illinois for a couple years again. 

[ltjets21]

22 hours ago, raysox said:

and here is the backup plan

 

 

I really dont see the practicality of spending hundreds of millions of taxpayer money to shrink soldier field for an MLS team. Does not draw really any money and from MLS standards the current stadium is fine.

[Red Wolf]

I say we keep layering on ruinous renovations of Soldier Field. Just every few decades make it even dumber and uglier. That can be its new legacy.

[DoctorWhom]

So they want to further mangle the stadium that already got stripped of its historic  locations status for renovations that added less seats? 

[TalktoChuck]

 

1 hour ago, ltjets21 said:

 

I really dont see the practicality of spending hundreds of millions of taxpayer money to shrink soldier field for an MLS team. Does not draw really any money and from MLS standards the current stadium is fine.

 

The main draw of doing this wouldn't be soccer, it would be concerts. Set up some summer 3-day concerts with Dave Matthews, Phish, Dead & Co., Luke Bryan. etc. and you make an easy million+ each weekend.

[Kooky01]

Chicago if/when the Bears leave town for Arlington Heights:

 

[ltjets21]

1 hour ago, Red Wolf said:

I say we keep layering on ruinous renovations of Soldier Field. Just every few decades make it even dumber and uglier. That can be its new legacy.

I know it seems like im piling on here but was Soldier Field ever that historic to begin with? The Bears only played there since 71 and produced 1 championship team. Before that they hosted a handful of Notre Dame Games and one Army Navy Game. Sure the original design was nice but that was badgered.

[DoctorWhom]

3 hours ago, ltjets21 said:

I know it seems like im piling on here but was Soldier Field ever that historic to begin with? The Bears only played there since 71 and produced 1 championship team. Before that they hosted a handful of Notre Dame Games and one Army Navy Game. Sure the original design was nice but that was badgered.

Technically it's 100 years old. So yeah, It is historic. 

But the renovations have absolutely butchered the stadium,  which is why it got removed from the Historic locations.  

[heavybass]

Lightfoot is going to be the reason why downtown Chicago will be in a :censored:ty state for years to come whilst the Bears get to experience the highs of Arlington.... heck even the NFL wants the Bears in Arlington Heights

[Red Comet]

Seems like the lady with a hairline that’s receded more than my Dad’s is doing as good of a job as she can to try and keep the team but the increasing crime around Soldier Field really is not helping. Businesses and fans have been complaining more than usual lately but that’s just how things roll, I guess. That and not many teams are going to pass up a new stadium if the opportunity arises.

 

Okay, real talk, Lori Lightfoot looks she grew up in Innsmouth.

Edited July 27, 2022 by Red Comet

[Digby]

The Bears have an opportunity to control their stadium and build a mall full of Sweetgreen and Fabletics outlets next to it. They'll never get that at Soldier Field, regardless of who the mayor is or what political pearl-clutching is going on.

[heavybass]

22 hours ago, Red Comet said:

Seems like the lady with a hairline that’s receded more than my Dad’s is doing as good of a job as she can to try and keep the team but the increasing crime around Soldier Field really is not helping. Businesses and fans have been complaining more than usual lately but that’s just how things roll, I guess. That and not many teams are going to pass up a new stadium if the opportunity arises.

 

Okay, real talk, Lori Lightfoot looks she grew up in Innsmouth.

I applud you for the Cthulthu reference.

[The_Admiral]

On 7/27/2022 at 5:10 PM, Red Comet said:

Seems like the lady with a hairline that’s receded more than my Dad’s is doing as good of a job as she can to try and keep the team but the increasing crime around Soldier Field really is not helping.

 

Didn't realize there were that many Aspiring Rappers hanging around the Field Museum.

[The_Admiral]

This guy would have kept the Bears in town

[The_Admiral]

https://www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs/naperville-sun/ct-nvs-naperville-chicago-bears-mayor-wehrli-st-0603-20230602-lukfvexmn5eetmvapyxncgkbxi-story.html

 

Quote

In a move that could be used as bargaining leverage, the team said in a statement Friday that plans to build “the largest single development project in Illinois history” are “at risk” in Arlington Heights.

The Bears objected that recent tax hikes on the former Arlington Park racetrack, which the Bears bought this year, would result in taxes far higher than its worth while it is not operational.

“We will continue the ongoing demolition activity and work toward a path forward in Arlington Heights, but it is no longer our singular focus,” team officials wrote. “It is our responsibility to listen to other municipalities in Chicagoland about potential locations that can deliver on this transformational opportunity for our fans, our club and the state of Illinois.”

The organization maintains plans to build an enclosed stadium with accompanying entertainment and residential development in Arlington Heights is not a done deal. There remains outstanding questions on the team getting certainty on property tax limits and public subsidies to help build infrastructure for the project.

 

To get you up to speed, the McCaskeys got caught with their pants down when the Cook County assessor played some dirty politics and nearly sextupled the property tax assessment for Arlington Park, which had the McCaskeys sputtering about how they couldn't afford this, which then raised the question, well, if you can't afford this in-the-grand-scheme-of-things small inconvenience, how can you afford the entire project?, which, obviously, they can't. Now they're playing zero-dimensional chess and trying to negotiate with DuPage County instead. I don't think they end up moving anywhere.

[Burmy]

If I worked in the Bears' front office, my choice would be to put the big project somewhere in Lake County (the one right below the Illinois-Wisconsin border).

What's not to love about Lake County?  A lot of people's favorite Chicagoland attractions are there; they got Six Flags Great America, they got Gurnee Mills, they got Ravinia and so on...but most importantly, Lake County

1. Has the most wide-open land which is suitable for development.

2. Is already home to Halas Hall in Lake Forest (they won't need to move headquarters if the stadium is built close enough there).

[The_Admiral]

56 minutes ago, Burmy said:

What's not to love about Lake County?

 

Driving there, for one thing. 

 

The best place for the Chicago Bears is in Chicago, a city whose expressways and railroads converge on a central location relatively close to their current stadium. 

[tBBP]

3 hours ago, the admiral said:

 

Driving there, for one thing. 

 

The best place for the Chicago Bears is in Chicago, a city whose expressways and railroads converge on a central location relatively close to their current stadium. 

 

 

 

[McCall]

9 hours ago, tBBP said:

 

 

 

I think he was referring to people driving INTO Chicago, not the ones trying to get the hell outta there cuz there life depends on it.

[The_Admiral]

1 hour ago, McCall said:

I think he was referring to people driving INTO Chicago, not the ones trying to get the hell outta there cuz there life depends on it.