Bears unveil stadium plan for lakefront

On Wednesday the Bears unveiled their plan for a new $2.3 billion stadium. And people have questions…

The Chicago Bears have finally unveiled renderings and plans for their proposed downtown Chicago stadium to replace Soldier Field.

The lakefront stadium would be built on the current Waldron and South Lot sites.

It’s the final public presentation of the organization’s pivot from the Arlington Heights site. Since Kevin Warren came on as President and CEO last year, he has rekindled the team’s relationship with the city of Chicago and now they appear all-in on staying downtown.

The renderings are below, but it’s an enclosed dome stadium with a glass roof. Soldier Field would be demolished, except for the historically protected facade and pillars and made into green space with sports fields.

Mayor Brandon Johnson attended today’s announcement. The mayor gave a potential Old Takes Exposed (and if you’re of a certain age, George H.W. Bush-esque) quote, “This project will result in no new taxes on the residents of Chicago.”

That surely will be tested. The Bears, for their part, pledged $2 billion, with $300 million coming from the NFL and the rest coming from the team.

The proposal calls for $900 million from the city and state. It’s unclear where exactly that money will come from without additional taxes or a bond issuance. The proposal mentioned the Illinois Sports Facilities Authority.

Social media was full of people questioning where the parking would go. The proposed stadium is roughly the same size and capacity as Soldier Field (65,000). Underground structures and existing structures would be enough (So says this Chris Emma tweet).

The proposal still needs approval from the state legislature, but Warren is hopeful to get that in the current session. He says they want shovels in the ground by summer 2025 and the team to move in for 2028.

What do you think? Are you glad the team is staying in Chicago? Is it really going to be a better experience for parking and fans?