Suburbs or City? The Chicago Bears’ Stadium Debate
The Chicago Bears have been discussing finding a new place to call home for the past few years. Soldier Field has been the home of the Bears for over 50 years, while also the stadium itself turned 100 years old just last year, making it the oldest stadium in the NFL. Being a historic part of Chicago since 1924, fans and the organization alike have come to terms with the current game-day experience, realizing it’s time for a more modern feel. With rookie quarterback Caleb Williams and new head coach Ben Johnson marking a new era in Chicago Bears history, it feels like a time when the home stadium for the Bears also needs to be changed. While it’s accepted that the Bears will move out, the question remains where they will move in.
The Bears have quite a few options but with a very notable frontrunner for the past couple of years in Arlington Heights. Being a suburb about 30 minutes away from Chicago, it has been a controversial split amongst fans, with some feeling the Bears should play inside the city. The Arlington Park Racetrack was closed in 2021, with the Bears purchasing the property in 2023 and demolishing the structure. Being proposed to be around five billion dollars, the team claims they would take on the entire cost themselves, while only using public funding for the facilities around the stadium on this new 32-acre plot of land. With the Metra train running right next to the entrance, it makes it an easily accessible stadium. While it would be a state-of-the-art stadium that can host global events besides Bears games, it’s not the organization's only option.
Looking at a possible six billion proposal, moving to the museum campus lakefront is an option for the Bears. Being very close to the area where Soldier Field currently sits, it would be an easy move for the team. In proposed renderings and discussions, the Bears would take on around two billion of it themselves while taxpayers would end up taking on the rest. There would be recreational spaces and playing fields a part of this new land owned by the Bears. While there would be massive upgrades to the stadium itself including a dome, a big issue that hasn’t been addressed is the parking and transportation accessibility. Fortunately for the fans who want their team to remain in the city, a new location has recently emerged.
Just a couple of weeks ago, Chicago’s Farpoint Development released new renderings for a possible Bronzeville stadium. While they haven’t met with the Bears just yet, the $3.2 billion plan would need private financing to build a domed stadium. This potential new home would be placed on the old Michael Reese Hospital site. The plan also includes a 20-acre park bridge right over DuSable Lake Shore Drive. Bronzeville may not be a current frontrunner, but it certainly has the potential to catch up on these stadium talks with a quick meeting with the Bears organization. While talks have been ongoing about where the team will be playing for a long time now, it feels like the answer is not too far away from being revealed.
