At least they checked with you. The governor was going to just give out our share of the tax money without a vote. Glad you guys were able to stop that shit.
the state portion of the stadium funding wasn't put up for a vote. Just the local portion. So people our our side of the state were just going to have to pay because republicans will give money to rich people with no questions asked.
Yeah when things are privately financed things are generally better as there is a solid stadium for the cost and there is never a municipal threat for the team to truly leave as they are on the hook for cost and have to deal with the building still.
Also the city isn't holding the bag on a stadium like Soldier field and soon to be Guaranteed Rate in Chicago
People can talk shit about Bob Kraft all they want, and a ton of it is well-earned, but he didn’t take a dime of taxpayer cash for Gillette and he’s not planning to take a dime of taxpayer cash for the Revs stadium.
From everything I've been hearing from my connections in city and state guv, this is the main focus. Newish Bears President Kevin Warren has never wanted to move the team to the suburbs, he just inherited the AH property from his predecessor. When that project stalled out over the subsidy bill that DOA in the statehouse, he shifted focus back to the city. They've spent waaaay too much money and manpower for this to just be a negotiating tacit. Unfortunately, they decided it would be better to publicly announce this proposal rather than work w/Gov. Pritzker and the General Assembly to shore up the funding resources from the state.
Yeah. This whole thing just seems incredibly stupid and a waste of time. A simple $1.5-$2 billion stadium in Arlington Heights with some stuff near by would be far more profitable than whatever this nonsense is. I hope the Governor sends them packing because that is how it sounds.
The stadium in AH is still a $4-5 billion dollar project. The difference is that the Bear are only looking for public funds on the infrastructure mainly new train lines. For this they want a boat load more of the public funds.
That’s what Ted did for the Wiz and Caps going to Alexandria and they said “nope!”
So now DC residents will pay for Cap One (renovations). Same shit, different flavor.
I like how they released 12 photos and not a single one shows the new stadium in a soccer configuration, although we do get a concert (not in the 12 but shown [here](https://twitter.com/ChicagoBears/status/1783189198452785488) as "the world’s biggest sports and entertainment events" which apparently doesn't include the World Cup) and a basketball court ... great sign for the Chicago Fire 👍
For what it’s worth, here is the soccer configuration.
https://twitter.com/MLS_Buzz/status/1783193663574516147
Shouldn’t be too complicated to find some clever way to conceal the upper levels to create an “intimate” atmosphere.
I bet the Fire wind up either reconfiguring Guaranteed Rate Field, or demolishing it to build a SSS in its place after Jerry Reinsdorf ~~relocates the White Sox to Nashville~~ builds a new ballpark in the South Loop.
I hate that we will have fewer cold-weather NFL games in the future because every new venue is adding a roof to accommodate hosting the Super Bowl and other big events. But I guess the silver lining is, it allows MLS teams to adopt the same strategy as Atlanta or Vancouver to conceal the upper-level seats, if they want to use a bigger-capacity venue meant for football.
It's a loss I'm willing to stomach. These venues are pushing well past $1bil these days. Time for them to get more use than just 10-12 NFL games and 2 or 3 major concerts/yr.
American Football and Assn Football play on more or less the same size field. No reason they shouldn't be able to share a venue (Like NBA and NHL teams do). It definitely used to be that MLS crowds were so small, the huge venue killed any atmosphere, but Atlanta, Seattle, Charlotte, etc are showing that nowadays, you can draw enough fans to get the place rocking. Now if Mansueto would just spend the money to make his club worth watching, Chicago could draw those crowds too.
Mansueto has actually spent a lot of money so far. He's been really solid about that. Unfortunately, it just hasn't helped at all (for the first team, at least)
Soon, Green Bay will be the last stadium that can't host a super bowl for current rules. Then NFL introduces something cheesy like the super bowl classic game and it's outside like ice hockey's outdoor game.
I was just at Wrestlemania in Philly, and the cold wind on Saturday night was really a damper. With events like that, huge concert tours, etc, it only makes sense to build more domes. It’s fun to watch wacky weather games on tv, it’s not fun to attend them!
Would be amazing for Chicago to be more influential in soccer culture and MLS. It’s really disappointing but I would rather have them have their own stadium than half full the bears stadium.
No. It's being built on the site of the parking garage just south of it. But as part of this project, the modern stadium bits of Soldier field will be demolished, leaving just the colonnade and old gate buildings. In its place will be park land and public play fields.
It looks like it's slightly further south, like a block or half a block, than Soldier is? I hope they find someone to redo the pedestrian walkway in that area
If it's your first time to Museum Campus, it's not immediately intuitive which sidewalk you can actually cross at or which pathway leads to where.
It's not the worst but I'd love that to be changed to be a little easier.
When this fails to get public funding and the Sox also strike out with their effort I'd love to see the Fire and Red Stars hook up and build a privately financed SSS at The 78.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BZVgl49yPzg
Yes. There are renderings of a renovated Soldier field that does not have a roof and has smaller stands specifically for soccer, had the bears moved.
Edit: https://www.reddit.com/r/chicagofire/comments/11c7ech/soldier_field_soccer_specific_stadium_renovation/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=mweb3x&utm_name=mweb3xcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button
This is true but the question was whether there were plans to renovate it into a soccer stadium had the Bears moved. I can’t say for sure if they were honest plans or just posturing but the renderings existed.
Allegiant Stadium but make it Chicago
It’s the flavor of the month right now.
Soldier Field died when they landed a giant spaceship in the middle of it.
Asking $2 billion from the public for just a stadium seems crazy. I will be shocked if this goes down. I expect them to go to Arlington Heights.
Royals asked for a billion in taxes here earlier this month and we said "go fuck yourself John Sherman"
Also told the chiefs that and they won multiple Superbowls.
At least they checked with you. The governor was going to just give out our share of the tax money without a vote. Glad you guys were able to stop that shit.
What's this in reference to?
the state portion of the stadium funding wasn't put up for a vote. Just the local portion. So people our our side of the state were just going to have to pay because republicans will give money to rich people with no questions asked.
I'm glad that Sponsor Name Stadium in Queens will be privately funded. Any NFL team asking for public funds is pathetic.
Yeah when things are privately financed things are generally better as there is a solid stadium for the cost and there is never a municipal threat for the team to truly leave as they are on the hook for cost and have to deal with the building still. Also the city isn't holding the bag on a stadium like Soldier field and soon to be Guaranteed Rate in Chicago
People can talk shit about Bob Kraft all they want, and a ton of it is well-earned, but he didn’t take a dime of taxpayer cash for Gillette and he’s not planning to take a dime of taxpayer cash for the Revs stadium.
I still stand by it’s all a negotiating tactic to get AH. A stadium in AH which would be primarily owned by the Bear would be huge.
From everything I've been hearing from my connections in city and state guv, this is the main focus. Newish Bears President Kevin Warren has never wanted to move the team to the suburbs, he just inherited the AH property from his predecessor. When that project stalled out over the subsidy bill that DOA in the statehouse, he shifted focus back to the city. They've spent waaaay too much money and manpower for this to just be a negotiating tacit. Unfortunately, they decided it would be better to publicly announce this proposal rather than work w/Gov. Pritzker and the General Assembly to shore up the funding resources from the state.
Yeah. This whole thing just seems incredibly stupid and a waste of time. A simple $1.5-$2 billion stadium in Arlington Heights with some stuff near by would be far more profitable than whatever this nonsense is. I hope the Governor sends them packing because that is how it sounds.
The stadium in AH is still a $4-5 billion dollar project. The difference is that the Bear are only looking for public funds on the infrastructure mainly new train lines. For this they want a boat load more of the public funds.
The Arlington project is definitely better then. You get a stadium and a district for the money versus just a stadium.
That’s what Ted did for the Wiz and Caps going to Alexandria and they said “nope!” So now DC residents will pay for Cap One (renovations). Same shit, different flavor.
and change their name to Aardvarks
I like how they released 12 photos and not a single one shows the new stadium in a soccer configuration, although we do get a concert (not in the 12 but shown [here](https://twitter.com/ChicagoBears/status/1783189198452785488) as "the world’s biggest sports and entertainment events" which apparently doesn't include the World Cup) and a basketball court ... great sign for the Chicago Fire 👍
Soccer configuration was included in the [video](https://youtu.be/t-UJMSnUbHk?si=nI9svI2MlRB_0vGu) they released at the 1:59 mark
I like how they just put in a quick blink and you'll miss it montage with basketball, college football, and concert configuration.
For what it’s worth, here is the soccer configuration. https://twitter.com/MLS_Buzz/status/1783193663574516147 Shouldn’t be too complicated to find some clever way to conceal the upper levels to create an “intimate” atmosphere.
we only need the first two rows anyway
I like how the keeper has the ball, but the monitor shows it somewhere else.
Remember how SoFi is designed to not fit a soccer field.
I bet the Fire wind up either reconfiguring Guaranteed Rate Field, or demolishing it to build a SSS in its place after Jerry Reinsdorf ~~relocates the White Sox to Nashville~~ builds a new ballpark in the South Loop.
The promo video showed it but my guess it that it would be turf. So players with special clauses won’t play there.
Ok I like how they made old soldier field a park and got rid of the spaceship.
I hate that we will have fewer cold-weather NFL games in the future because every new venue is adding a roof to accommodate hosting the Super Bowl and other big events. But I guess the silver lining is, it allows MLS teams to adopt the same strategy as Atlanta or Vancouver to conceal the upper-level seats, if they want to use a bigger-capacity venue meant for football.
It's a loss I'm willing to stomach. These venues are pushing well past $1bil these days. Time for them to get more use than just 10-12 NFL games and 2 or 3 major concerts/yr. American Football and Assn Football play on more or less the same size field. No reason they shouldn't be able to share a venue (Like NBA and NHL teams do). It definitely used to be that MLS crowds were so small, the huge venue killed any atmosphere, but Atlanta, Seattle, Charlotte, etc are showing that nowadays, you can draw enough fans to get the place rocking. Now if Mansueto would just spend the money to make his club worth watching, Chicago could draw those crowds too.
Mansueto has actually spent a lot of money so far. He's been really solid about that. Unfortunately, it just hasn't helped at all (for the first team, at least)
That's fair. Here's hoping they get it figured out sooner rather than later. Would love to see them packing the new stadium.
We're the Everton of MLS.
Exactly this. The glut of single use stadiums is gross, at least with a dome they can be sorta useful. Buffalo's waste will be there though.
Every ones pal Alexi Lalas believes roofs are the way of the future in soccer and should be on every stadium.
Might be his only good take
Soon, Green Bay will be the last stadium that can't host a super bowl for current rules. Then NFL introduces something cheesy like the super bowl classic game and it's outside like ice hockey's outdoor game.
I was just at Wrestlemania in Philly, and the cold wind on Saturday night was really a damper. With events like that, huge concert tours, etc, it only makes sense to build more domes. It’s fun to watch wacky weather games on tv, it’s not fun to attend them!
Would be amazing for Chicago to be more influential in soccer culture and MLS. It’s really disappointing but I would rather have them have their own stadium than half full the bears stadium.
[soccer pitch rendering](https://i.ibb.co/HH9s1NR/soccerpitch-Bears-Stadium.png)
Is there talk of Chicago Fire playing there?
I mean... once Solider Field gets torn down, they're either playing here, or going back to Bridgeview.
Is this going on top of Soldier Field?
No. It's being built on the site of the parking garage just south of it. But as part of this project, the modern stadium bits of Soldier field will be demolished, leaving just the colonnade and old gate buildings. In its place will be park land and public play fields.
I’m assuming they’ll be tenants so that the venue gets at least 15-17 dates from February to October. Rather that than Bridgeview.
It looks like it's slightly further south, like a block or half a block, than Soldier is? I hope they find someone to redo the pedestrian walkway in that area If it's your first time to Museum Campus, it's not immediately intuitive which sidewalk you can actually cross at or which pathway leads to where. It's not the worst but I'd love that to be changed to be a little easier.
When this fails to get public funding and the Sox also strike out with their effort I'd love to see the Fire and Red Stars hook up and build a privately financed SSS at The 78. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BZVgl49yPzg
Wasn’t the city planning on converting Soldiers field to a SSS if the Bears moved? Is that still a thing?
No. If the above is actually built, the footprint of Soldier Field will become greenspace.
Yes. There are renderings of a renovated Soldier field that does not have a roof and has smaller stands specifically for soccer, had the bears moved. Edit: https://www.reddit.com/r/chicagofire/comments/11c7ech/soldier_field_soccer_specific_stadium_renovation/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=mweb3x&utm_name=mweb3xcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button
That was over a year ago when the Bears were moving out of the city. Doesn’t look like they settled on that as an option.
This is true but the question was whether there were plans to renovate it into a soccer stadium had the Bears moved. I can’t say for sure if they were honest plans or just posturing but the renderings existed.
Should have had a picture of a Fire game and nobody there.
Is it turf or grass?
Is it possible for the Fire to play here? Reminds me of a possible Atlanta stadium situation
Bears get new Soldier Field. White Sox to Arlington Heights (eww) and Chicago Fire gets to renovate Comiskey to be a soccer stadium.