New Details Emerge On Chicago Bears' Downtown Stadium Plan

People still haven't figured out what the Chicago Bears will do in their pursuit of a new stadium. However, it appears one thing has become clear. They are serious about a new downtown dome complex on the lakefront. Team president Kevin Warren has spearheaded the effort, driven by the belief that his image of the Bears has always been that incredible skyline off Lake Michigan. He's been in constant communication with Mayor Brandon Johnson about the idea, and it appears his new team of people have put together a proposal that would ultimately pump $2 billion into the proposed stadium location and its surrounding area.

What we didn't have was details on how exactly that would take shape. This has finally begun to change. Mitchell Armentrout of the Chicago Sun-Times shared new details on what could be involved in reshaping the surrounding property of where a new stadium would end up. It admittedly sounds quite exciting.

The Bears’ drive for a downtown domed stadium could include a new sports museum, a pedestrian bridge to Northerly Island and a lakefront hotel — along with a public infrastructure price tag of at least $1 billion to help bring more people to the Museum Campus.

That doesn’t include the financial help the team would need from lawmakers to issue or extend state bonds to build the stadium. But the team has promised to pump at least $2 billion of its own money into the project if officials move the chains on their ambitious vision — and if parks advocates don’t block it.

Improved infrastructure and ways to generate revenue are what will garner traction in the political theater for Chicago. A sports museum would be a great attraction for locals and tourists alike, while a hotel would be a great way to secure more money for the local economy.

The Chicago Bears' plans don't end there.

Word is Soldier Field would receive significant changes. The infamous spaceship section of the stadium would be demolished, and the building would be turned into a public athletic facility. Once the new stadium was up, a restaurant and public bathrooms would be added nearby, providing two things many felt the area had lacked for too long. It is clear the Bears have done their research well. They understand what the city might be looking for if such a project went ahead. The hard part is getting such a plan past the advocacy groups protecting against private land development.

The wild card in this situation is Arlington Heights. As the possibility of this return to downtown for the Chicago Bears gains traction, decision-makers in the local suburb have worked hard to find common ground on the sticky property tax issue. They're hoping to find a number the Bears can live with so they don't abandon the Arlington Park property altogether, leaving it vacant and useless to the local economy. Maybe everything is a careful leverage play by Warren, but it sure feels like this lakefront plan is serious.