The Chicago Bears are potentially in talks to reconsider the former Michael Reese Hospital Site in Bronzeville for their future stadium plans. Currently the 49-acre property sits vacant as it awaits to be redeveloped into the Bronzeville Lakefront Megadevelopment, but plans have struggled to get going.
Aerial View of Bronzeville Lakefront Development Site. Diagram by GRIT Chicago
View of Bronzeville Lakefront Development Site. Diagram by GRIT Chicago
The wedge-shaped site is roughly bound by the existing Metra tracks to the east, E 26th Street to the north and E 31st Street to the south, with the Prairie Shores complex running along its west end. Co-developers Farpoint and Loop Capital originally envisioned a multi-phase development featuring retail, housing, a medical center, welcome center, and more.
View of ARC Innovation Center at Bronzeville Lakefront Development Site. Rendering by GRIT Chicago
Now according to Crain’s, those same developers have gotten the Bears to reconsider the site after initially ruling it out for safety and size concerns. This comes as the team, who is one of the richest in the nation, has not been able to persuade the state to financially contribute to their plans to redevelop Soldier Field and build a new $3.2 billion stadium to its south.
Rendering of new Bears stadium at Soldier Field by Manica Architecure
Previously, the team considered placing the stadium on the more narrow north end of the site, still allowing for part of the Bronzeville Lakefront plan to be built on the south end. To achieve this, the team would have to cap the Metra tracks and extend into the existing marshaling grounds of McCormick Place, a costly approach.
Rendering of new Bears stadium at Soldier Field by Manica Architecure
Ultimately the cost of the cap and safety concerns of having active commuter rail lines under the stadium ended up killing the initial consideration for the site. But now the team is considering the wider southern end of the site, removing the need for a cap. However this would mean the demolition of the Singer Pavilion and disruption to the community-backed Lakefront plan.
Rendering of new Bears stadium at Soldier Field by Manica Architecure
Rendering of new Bears stadium at Soldier Field by Manica Architecure
While talks are still initial, placing the stadium and a new mixed-use neighborhood here would bring certain benefits according to those involved. These include avoiding a long legal battle promised by Friends of the Park, the advocacy group that killed the Lucas Museum, as well as the hope that its impacts on the surrounding South Side would help in talks with the state for funding.
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I’ve said this before, and I’ll say it again. Friends of the Parks are friends of the park-ing lots. Moving the stadium immediately south of its current location creates MORE park space because you lose a parking lot, and the existing stadium becomes parkland.
The idea that the lakefront stadium plan creates more parkland is nothing but public relations spin. A net gain in open space requires the near total demolition of Solider Field (which is highly unlikely). Plus, there is fine print “buried” in the Bears proposal about the expansion of the remaining parking lots/structures to make up for any spaces lost to the new stadium.
You must be a member of Friends of the Park-ing lots
Yes, I believe there should be no more private development on the lakefront disguised as a public benefit, especially if funded by public tax dollars. Plus if Soldier Field is not torn down (also at city/state expense by the way) there’s no gain in parkland for the public. There are cheaper ways to get rid of the parking lots.
Planning can’t be one size fits all. The Bears are the biggest customer at Soldier Field and a big part of the game day experience is tailgating beforehand. I’m all for more park space on other sites but expanding parking space at Soldier Field makes sense.
Shame on “Friends of the Parking Lot” They killed the Lucas Museum which was a billion dollar gift with no public funding required. Placing the stadium adjacent to McCormick Place is the best solution for creating economic opportunities and improving public access. Hope we don’t make another mistake like we did with the Soldier Field renovation.
The Lucas Museum was a major disappointment. The final chunks finishing up in LA is absolutely gorgeous.
But the Bears… are you forgetting the part where the billionaire family has been begging on numerous occasions for the city and state to pay for the stadium?
Lucas was private money on public land. Bears is public money for a private structure on public land while their publicly funded old stadium that’s still yet to be paid off gets torn down.
For all the red-leaning “economically savvy” business folk, how does dumping our money onto a failed franchise make sense?
“safety concerns of having active commuter rail lines under the stadium”
I have seen The Dark Knight Rises, so I understand the concern.
That commuter line spends part of its route fully covered right around there, now.
Let’s be pragmatic here, the parking lot location will be a battle with an unknown outcome. The hospital site could be developed into an economic engine for Bronzeville with a new stadium and transit with hotels, restaurants and residential units. This location would give the Bears and fans the sports campus like Arlington, but with a much higher level of prestige. The hospital site has great potential.
I will support whatever plans they have as long as they aren’t asking for billions of taxpayer dollars. If you want the stadium, you can pay for it
Agreed, the CTA needs $750 million to keep functioning at currents levels of service thanks to the pandemic, we should be spending our public money on this and expanding transit, not on subsidies for a billionaire family’s sports franchise.
Yes I do agree let’s deal on a Michael Reese site and let the Chicago bears have a great stadium thanks
Of all the so so plans, I still prefer the relocation to south of the current stadium. With the investment in a domed stadium, it would appear this location could include an enclosed link between McCormick Place Convention Center and the stadium to hold larger events. Currently Indianapolis’ Indiana Convention Center has an underground link between the convention center and Lucas Field, perfect for large scale events.
This what I know, the taxpayers will be left with the Bill! And in 10-20 years from now the NFL owners will be pushing for a new stadium again! There is nothing wrong with current stadium that a few upgrades and overdue maintenance, if they want a roof? Hire a good architecture/structural firm?
The 78 was the best spot for a casino, and it’s now the best spot for a Bears stadium. I know Related Midwest is in league with Reinsdorf and Mansueto for Sox/Fire projects there, but this should be a no-brainer now that DPI pulled out. The new Red Line stop access there (not to mention proximity to the river for water taxis/shuttles to/from the major Metra stations) provides far greater transit access than the Reese site (or the lakefront site). Every downtown option will have its parking/traffic concerns — there are a lot of suburban Bears fans — but there will be ways to mitigate that and allow tailgating/etc.
Have sterling bay buy the land for 10 billion save on TIF and we will see what happens
Let me get this straight. The McCaskeys have been cheap for decades on not getting the right front office, coaching staff, a good QB, yet they want to focus on a new stadium. That right there tells us that they don’t care about the organization. They only care about selling tickets, yet they want to spend $5 billion on a stadium that doesn’t even have a large enough seating capacity. Bunch of clowns we have in this city
Where is the parking for the proposed stadium, that’s I would like know.
Sounds like the site is big enough for two taxpayer-funded stadiums, for the Bears AND the Sox. One set of parking lots can serve both, in their different seasons. Though I really don’t understand why these billionaire families can’t just pay for their own monuments, like the Ryan family is building its own billion dollar stadium for Northwestern.
I would say that if it can be properly financed without becoming a taxpayer burden, then go for it. I think great use of this land that would keep the traffic out of the neighborhoods. I’m not sure how these development opportunities would spur growth on the south sides of any substantial measure, and we should stop saying that they will…What has Sox stadium done in all the years it’s been at 35th and the Dan Ryan? I don’t think anything. Soldier Field can be used for soccer games, concerts and College football games…Why not!!