The melodrama involving the Chicago Bears took an unexpected turn with a new proposal put forth to keep the team in their hometown with a modern renovation of their longtime stadium.
Fox 32 Chicago reports the architectural firm Edward Peck Design released a concept video that reimagines Soldier Field with a transparent domed roof, expanded accommodations with added luxury suites and general seating, and a new entertainment district adjacent to the stadium that would feature hotels, housing, retail and public spaces.
Furthermore, the plan offers improved public transit connections to the stadium, including a high-speed water taxi stop.
Edward Peck, managing director of Edward Peck Design, said the proposal was requested by an unnamed client. In a statement sent to Weekly Real Estate News, Peck explained, “Our client has chosen to remain anonymous, primarily because this effort is not a formal development proposal backed by financing or negotiated legislation. Rather, it is a conceptual study intended to challenge the prevailing assumption, put forward by the Bears, that Soldier Field is no longer a viable option due to limitations in spectator capacity and the absence of an adjacent entertainment district.”
Peck added, “Our work sets out to provide a proof of concept addressing these concerns. We developed strategies to increase both capacity and the overall fan experience within the existing stadium footprint, engineered a high-performance enclosure capable of transforming the venue into a true 365-day destination, and explored the integration of a new entertainment district. Due to limited adjacent real estate, we proposed decking over Lake Shore Drive and existing rail lines to reclaim valuable land. The entertainment district is envisioned to generate meaningful revenue opportunities not only for Bears ownership, but also for the City of Chicago, Chicago Park District and surrounding local businesses.”
The proposal did not include a budget or details on whether this would involve public funding. A major stumbling block in keeping the Bears in Chicago has been the inability to secure public funding commitments for a new stadium in the city. The team acquired the 326-acre the site of the former Arlington International Racecourse in suburban Arlington Heights for a new stadium, but negotiations continue over property taxes and public funding have delayed plans to develop the property.
The team is also being lobbied by Indiana officials to relocate across state lines, with pledges for a new stadium in the City of Hammond that would be financed in a public-private partnership.
Peck stated that the intent of his proposal was “to encourage state legislators that are currently considering incentive packages for the Arlington Heights proposal to reassess the broader financial and urban implications of investing in a suburban site that is removed from the core of Illinois’ tourism economy.”
Photo: Artist rendering of the renovated Soldier Field, courtesy of Edward Peck Design
