Bears stadium drama continues as team tries to stay in city
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In this aerial view Soldier Field is seen before the Carolina Panthers played the Chicago Bears on Oct. 6, 2024. Photo: Quinn Harris/Getty Images
The Chicago Bears are reportedly reevaluating the old Michael Reese Hospital site as a potential location for their new stadium.
Why it matters: The Bears had already evaluated the Bronzeville location, but deemed it too narrow and a security risk due to the nearby train line. They passed on the location before settling on the idea of building just south of Soldier Field.
Yes, but: The Museum Campus plan comes with a steep price tag and has been opposed by park advocacy groups.
- By suggesting another site, the Bears may be cowing to pressure from Friends of the Park, which has secured a coalition to fight the current stadium proposal.
The intrigue: The Museum Campus plan is backed by Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson and includes park space and a new football field for Chicago Public Schools. It's unclear if the city would support the move to the Reese site without those amenities attached.
- That plan would need state financing, but Gov. JB Pritzker has signaled he doesn't want to use taxpayer money for a private stadium.
What they're saying: "My goal is to keep them (Bears) in Chicago," Johnson said at a recent press conference. "As long as we're clear about not just keeping them in Chicago, but creating academic opportunities for real economic development."
If the Bears are truly considering different sites, here are five areas to think about inside the city limits:
McCormick Place: Why not set up shop a little farther south of the Museum Campus on the site where the dormant Lakeside Center building sits? It would be a shame to lose the architectural marvel, but it costs the city hundreds of thousands of dollars a year just to keep the building afloat.
- But it is still on the lakefront, which may cause the same legal trouble the Bears are trying to avoid.
South Works: The race to claim the large swath of land vacant since U.S. Steel left in 1992 is on, and the Bears would have to hustle if they wanted this Southeast side plot.
- Pritzker is eyeing this land for a new quantum computing park that would serve as a hub for scientists and entrepreneurs. Plus, it's a hike from downtown, which is where the Bears are signaling they want to stay close to.
Build downtown: In Philadelphia, a controversy is brewing around the plan for a new 76ers stadium that would essentially be built on top of two dense nearby neighborhoods. Could the city and the Bears do that to a neighborhood or even a struggling part of downtown? The city has annexed land for big projects like O'Hare and UIC.
- A new stadium on South State Street, perhaps?
Lincoln Yards: The notorious mega-development neighborhood on the Near North Side has stalled. Developer Sterling Bay bought the 53 acres right before the pandemic.
- The space and location might be nice, but the cost of developing the land, plus the strain on already limited infrastructure might make this a hard sell in a densely populated and affluent area.
The 78: Another parcel of land still under construction is the mega-development "The 78." The site has been pitched for a new Sox stadium, but the team could be on the block, which complicates where a new stadium could be built.
- "The 78" may end up being too small for a football stadium, especially one that needs a lot of parking and a nearby entertainment district.