Lightfoot unveils proposal for Soldier Field dome, 2 other renovation options as Bears consider move to suburbs
CHICAGO (CBS) -- As the Chicago Bears consider leaving the city for a new stadium in Arlington Heights, Mayor Lori Lightfoot and Chicago Park District officials on Monday unveiled three options for renovating Soldier Field, including a possible dome over the lakefront arena.
The three options were recommended by a working group the mayor put together to come up with plans for the future of the Museum Campus on the lakefront, after the Bears last year signed a purchase agreement for the former Arlington International Racecourse site in Arlington Heights.
The options include rebuilding both end zones and enclosing the stadium with a dome; renovating the stadium to make it dome ready; or modifying Soldier Filed into a multi-purpose stadium better suited for its other major sports tenant, the Chicago Fire FC, as well as concerts and other year-round events.
All three options would preserve the stadium's iconic colonnades, while expanding capacity from 61,500 seats to 70,000 seats.
According to the mayor's office, the plans also would increase the number of luxury suites from 133 to 140; add six new club areas; quadruple concessions areas from 50,000 to 200,000 square feet; expand the opportunity for stadium naming rights and other sponsorships, and create more flexible event space, with up to 4 separate venues, with capacity ranging from 5,000 to 60,000 seats.
The mayor's office estimated the costs of the three options would range from $900 million to $2.2 billion.
"Soldier Field must be a year-round destination. We must enhance the fan experience, and that's precisely what we aim to do," Lightfoot said at a news conference Monday afternoon at Soldier Field.
However, none of the options seem likely to convince the Bears to stay in Soldier Field.
In a statement on Monday, a Bears spokesman said the only option the franchise is interested in exploring for a new stadium is the Arlington Park site.
"As part of our mutual agreement with the seller of that property, we are not pursuing alternative stadium deals or sites, including renovations to Soldier Field, while we are under contract. We have informed the City of Chicago that we intend to honor our contractual commitments as we continue our due diligence and predevelopment activities on the Arlington Heights property. In the meantime, we remain committed to fulfilling our Permit Operating Agreement (POA) at Soldier Field. To this end, we maintain a strong working relationship with Rosa Escareno, the new Chicago Park District General Superintendent, her staff, and the ASM Global management team."
Still, Lightfoot said she's confident the Bears will give the city's proposal for a domed Soldier Field a chance.
"I think that there's no possibility they're not gonna consider this plan. It would be foolish not to," she said. "What we are doing is making a compelling case for the Bears to stay in Chicago."
Lightfoot said she last talked to Bears chairman George McCaskey two weeks ago and told him about these plans, though she did not say anything about his level of interest.
Aside from whether or not the proposed dome would be enough to convince the Bears to say, the mayor's proposal does not answer another important question. Who would pay for it? The 2002 renovation of Soldier Field cost $660 million, $432 million of which was funded by the city's hotel tax, and the bonds issued to finance that project are still being paid off.
Lightfoot declined to say how much of the potential $2.2 billion tab the city is prepared to pay for.
"I don't want to speculate and get ahead of ourselves, but we believe in collaboration and shared value and investment," she said.
According to published reports, the Bears' lease at Soldier Field runs through 2033, but would require them to pay the city only $84 million in damages if they were to break their lease in 2026, which would likely be the earliest they could expect to build and move into a new stadium in Arlington Heights.
Building their own stadium also would give them full control over their home arena, rather than having to rely on a lease with the Park District for Soldier Field. It also would allow them to reap the full benefits of stadium naming rights, as well as any other events held at a team-owned arena, such as concerts.