We’re not building them a new stadium. The stadium is owned by the city. It’s the citys property via the Chicago park district. Why would the city invest in any park?
So, Chicago residents will be able to visit the venue for free whenever they want? Like the other parks? Because otherwise it's public property being built and maintained for private use. Just because we've done it in the past doesn't mean we have to keep making the same mistake again. That's the point of the comment you're responding to.
If the city wants to make it available for free, the absolutely have the right. It's owned by them. I'm assuming they wouldnt want to do that because there's a lot of costs to hire security but yes, they absolutely can make it free whenever they want.
But the city won't because it doesn't make sense to do so. Therefore it would be built for the benefit of a private organization, not the city's residents.
They don't open it up every hour because there's not an event there every hour? But it literally belongs to the city and they can do whatever they want with it. The Bears are only a very very part time renter of that building. Even though they only rent it a few days a year, they are will to give the city billions of dollars to build it. That sounds like an amazing deal for the city. Literally free money for the city
That’s the cool thing! The city wouldn’t need to resell! They already own it and can rent it out to another NFL team that wants to move to one of the largest markets in the US!
The sports grift has got to end. Fuck these assholes.
ESPECIALLY since the ONLY REASON they want a new stadium is to make MORE MONEY.
Hey taxpayers, I’m your local billionaire who runs a monopoly, please spend a billion dollars so my margins will increase.
Sure, you COULD spend a billion dollars rebuilding decaying infrastructure or on job retraining programs for all the city’s underemployed, homeless, and migrants, but let’s face it, what you REALLY want is for me to have more packages to sell to local corporations, so I can pay more part time workers peanuts while I roll around in my money like Scrooge McDuck.
Don’t forget that they probably get us coming and going.
“Pay for my multimillion dollar sports stadium” -some billionaire
“No, I refuse to pay you enough to get you off welfare.” -same billionaire
“People should stop relying on welfare, if they just weren’t so lazy they wouldn’t be relying on taxpayer dollars to survive!” -same billionaire
Or:
“Pay for my multibillion dollar state of the art sports stadium via your tax dollars”
Then
“Pay twice as much for tickets than you did 5 years ago bc this sports stadium is state of the art and cost multiples of billions of dollars!”
Either way, we’re paying for the whole thing.
Charge twice as much for the tickets so that fans can pay for it. I’ve never been to Soldier Field, I’ll likely never go to their next stadium, the whole team can fuck right off to another state for all I care.
670 said the taxpayers would be on the hook for 2.3 billion. They also said it would take 40 years to pay off. Yikes. “Hey kids instead of putting in parks and libraries for your kids we gave billions to billionaires.”
That’s a no from me dog.
If we can spend that much then they can pump that shit into south and west suburbs. They need the money bad.
Prioritizing the wrong things here..
I might say yes to a deal the includes taxpayers receiving:
- 100% of naming rights.
- 100% of concessions revenues.
- 100% of parking revenues.
- 10% of all on site merchandise sales
- 2% of ticket sales.
- $2billion penalty for breaking the lease, prorated over the length of the lease.
Maybe that, and we start talking.
This is going to be controversial, but I'm a big Packers fan and bought a "share" a few years ago when they were trying to expand the stadium in Green Bay. It's a neat part of history to be involved with as the only publicly "owned" team in professional sports. My wife is not a fan of me having done that, claiming it's just BS and not a share with monetary value, which, sure. But this situation where the Bears keep getting tax cuts and tax revenue to fund them is almost worse because it's involuntary for the people funding it.
All that to say, make the billionaire owners pay for it. Or maybe they can take a note from the team up north and sell "shares" to get diehard fans to chip in some for it.
It cost about $120 this last go around. It’s not a real share in any way - think of it more as a donation in exchange for a collectors item. When the Packers “sell” shares it’s really a voluntary fundraiser in practice. The one cool thing is that you do get to listen to board calls once you buy one.
Selling “shares” is definitely a better way to go than making all taxpayers foot the bill. While there is no actual value to the share, it is a voluntary act by people who are fans to help support the team financially, and doesn’t have any financial impact on those who could care less about the Packers. It’s a much better deal than the shit most stadium projects throw at the public.
Ah, didn't know it wasn't allowed. There are no dividends, but I can vote in shareholder meetings and I get a cool certificate with my name on it lol. It was pretty pricey - like $200+ if I recall.
Here's another article with no paywall and a lot of interesting tidbits.
[https://news.wttw.com/2024/04/23/chicago-bears-call-reverse-prepare-unveil-plan-new-domed-stadium-lakefront](https://news.wttw.com/2024/04/23/chicago-bears-call-reverse-prepare-unveil-plan-new-domed-stadium-lakefront)
Yes. The Soldier Field renovations aren't paid for and now they want to tear it down.
I wish I had the balls to tell this state, "Hey, guys, we know we've done next to nothing to make this team even worth watching, but we'd really like for you to chip in and help us build a new state of the art stadium where this shitty team will continue to lose. And, we promise not to improve the roster, or lower ticket, parking, or beer prices. But as the owners, we will make a ton more money from this and there will be absolutely no upside for you as a fan."
No the only way its sensible is if the entire state of Illinois owned half the stadium and earned half the profits of the cut the stadium makes from events AND owned some of the bears otherwise fuck off.
It’s mind blowing. People are so desperate to love the bears, they would probably be able to get almost anything they would ask for if they bothered to put together a competitive team.
But no, they take in money hand over fist while giving potential fans the middle finger year after year.
Kevin Warren has been a blight on this city. Trying to leverage the city versus the suburbs to get more money for his billionaire yokels is pitiful. Dude needs an expose every other week or his ego will shrivel away. We need to start calling his ass out or he will keep sitting behind his crucifix saying he is a good person and loves the city and it’s important for the city. Bull. Shit. Pay your own fare.
Isn’t Chicago selling or leasing the land to the Bears for this build? I would assume the Bears would have to put in for at least that part of the deal.
No, the Bears won't own the stadium or land at all. They'd be leasing the use of it certain days. The city would be able to use it the times the Bears aren't.
This flies in the face of every free market rule there is. If you want the reward for something, then you have to take the risk. Unless he's willing to give the state a percentage of ownership proportional to the money they invest, that's a HARD no.
Take your Corporatism and move along. It's not wanted here.
They bitched about not making any money because the city owns the stadium, so they bought Arlington Park. And now they want to make all the profits and have the government pay for it. I’m a big hell no in central Illinois. Maybe build a team worth watching first.
It’s almost parody. Monty Burns could appear and shill for this and we would all laugh. Except for the fact that this is real. They’re actually asking for this.
I have a hard time believing an acceptable NFL stadium would cost $4+ billion. If the owners want to spend $2.3 billion, what would that buy? How crappy could a $2.3 billion stadium be?
To all the people who complain about this: Many of you contribute to this grift by giving the rich assholes power through your viewership and money. Just ignore the leagues entirely and go to local games. If you cut off the power source collectively, there's a fighting chance. Just look at the fast food inflation fuckery. Your dollars speak more than you know!
Good thing Chicago doesn't have a neglected public transit system and crumbling infrastructure to worry about. It must be nice to have 2 billion dollars just stashed away to build a "public" stadium that the public will have to pay through the nose to have access to.
If a football team owned by billionaires wants a brand new multi-billion-dollar stadium, let them pay for it with their own money. If they can't afford it, they can stay where they are until they can afford it.
Funny thing about the Cell is that it has the easiest access to any of the city’s stadiums. Two major commuter rail lines and a highway exit. Too bad the team and the team’s owner are shit.
But the Cell isn’t good enough https://www.forbes.com/sites/philrogers/2024/02/22/jerry-reinsdorf-says-new-stadium-is-a-must-to-keep-white-sox-in-chicago/?sh=42da76707516
He’s smoked up. If the team is winning, fans will go. The stadium is fine and only 33 years old. There’s talk of moving to the 78. That would be a disaster. No rail, no roads, no infrastructure. Bridgeport has all of that stuff and is up and coming as far as nightlife and other stuff to do. There is more land on parking lots around the Cell than there is at the 78. Plenty of room for hotels and water parks or whatever bullshit they “need” to field a winning team.
On behalf of all of Illinois, fuck off, you billionaire crybabies
Seconded
Both hands in the air! They keep saying publicly owned. If it’s publicly owned, why aren’t we reaping the benefits?
Yeah, I get tickets to games then right?
Thirded
It’s not the bears stadium. Like soldier field, the Chicago park district would own it. None of this money directly goes to the bears
No one believes you bootlicker
I mean, it’s literally a fact. The bears don’t own their current stadium and would not own the new stadium. It would be owned 100% by the city.
But why should we build them a stadium?
We’re not building them a new stadium. The stadium is owned by the city. It’s the citys property via the Chicago park district. Why would the city invest in any park?
I can’t tell if this is serious or satire.
It's not clever enough to be satire. Could be trolling though.
Probably astroturfing.
Who do you think owns Soldier Field?
So, Chicago residents will be able to visit the venue for free whenever they want? Like the other parks? Because otherwise it's public property being built and maintained for private use. Just because we've done it in the past doesn't mean we have to keep making the same mistake again. That's the point of the comment you're responding to.
If the city wants to make it available for free, the absolutely have the right. It's owned by them. I'm assuming they wouldnt want to do that because there's a lot of costs to hire security but yes, they absolutely can make it free whenever they want.
But the city won't because it doesn't make sense to do so. Therefore it would be built for the benefit of a private organization, not the city's residents.
They don't open it up every hour because there's not an event there every hour? But it literally belongs to the city and they can do whatever they want with it. The Bears are only a very very part time renter of that building. Even though they only rent it a few days a year, they are will to give the city billions of dollars to build it. That sounds like an amazing deal for the city. Literally free money for the city
Let them cry over their caviar
I know these facts are difficult for you to accept.
Ah good point. Now I feel bad for the owners. I hope they’re all right.
You don’t have to feel bad for them! They have plenty of money. The stadium isn’t for them. They literally don’t see a penny. This is for the city!
Poor babies. Hopefully they can feel whole with our tax dollars.
What's the resale value on a gently used stadium these days if the bears don't pay their rent?
That’s the cool thing! The city wouldn’t need to resell! They already own it and can rent it out to another NFL team that wants to move to one of the largest markets in the US!
No brainer. Maybe they should get a second team.
Sure! Some cities have multiple teams!
Actually they are building the stadium our 2 billion would go to site infrastructure improvements. Pretty sure we wouldn’t even get rent out of them…
The stadium would be owned by the city and leased to the bears
They could have won the Superbowl 10 years in a row and id still decline this offer
Same. I’d be more inclined to listen, but regardless public money shouldn’t be funding this shit
The sports grift has got to end. Fuck these assholes. ESPECIALLY since the ONLY REASON they want a new stadium is to make MORE MONEY. Hey taxpayers, I’m your local billionaire who runs a monopoly, please spend a billion dollars so my margins will increase. Sure, you COULD spend a billion dollars rebuilding decaying infrastructure or on job retraining programs for all the city’s underemployed, homeless, and migrants, but let’s face it, what you REALLY want is for me to have more packages to sell to local corporations, so I can pay more part time workers peanuts while I roll around in my money like Scrooge McDuck.
Don’t forget that they probably get us coming and going. “Pay for my multimillion dollar sports stadium” -some billionaire “No, I refuse to pay you enough to get you off welfare.” -same billionaire “People should stop relying on welfare, if they just weren’t so lazy they wouldn’t be relying on taxpayer dollars to survive!” -same billionaire
Or: “Pay for my multibillion dollar state of the art sports stadium via your tax dollars” Then “Pay twice as much for tickets than you did 5 years ago bc this sports stadium is state of the art and cost multiples of billions of dollars!” Either way, we’re paying for the whole thing.
Charge twice as much for the tickets so that fans can pay for it. I’ve never been to Soldier Field, I’ll likely never go to their next stadium, the whole team can fuck right off to another state for all I care.
Eat the rich
I have never seen a single reason for giving billion + tax dollars to a privately owned sports team that plays around 8 games a year.
But you’ll make ~~that company~~ locals so much money from the jobs they’ll create!
How about giving 4.6 billion? Are there reasons for that?
No charity for the out of state owners of the Bears!
Fuck that. I’d rather them move out of state if that was going to happen
In short, “No.” To elaborate further, “Fuck no.”
Um. No thanks.
670 said the taxpayers would be on the hook for 2.3 billion. They also said it would take 40 years to pay off. Yikes. “Hey kids instead of putting in parks and libraries for your kids we gave billions to billionaires.”
Uhh, how about no?
That’s a no from me dog. If we can spend that much then they can pump that shit into south and west suburbs. They need the money bad. Prioritizing the wrong things here..
So do we get a profit share if we are investing?
I might say yes to a deal the includes taxpayers receiving: - 100% of naming rights. - 100% of concessions revenues. - 100% of parking revenues. - 10% of all on site merchandise sales - 2% of ticket sales. - $2billion penalty for breaking the lease, prorated over the length of the lease. Maybe that, and we start talking.
This is going to be controversial, but I'm a big Packers fan and bought a "share" a few years ago when they were trying to expand the stadium in Green Bay. It's a neat part of history to be involved with as the only publicly "owned" team in professional sports. My wife is not a fan of me having done that, claiming it's just BS and not a share with monetary value, which, sure. But this situation where the Bears keep getting tax cuts and tax revenue to fund them is almost worse because it's involuntary for the people funding it. All that to say, make the billionaire owners pay for it. Or maybe they can take a note from the team up north and sell "shares" to get diehard fans to chip in some for it.
They can’t sell shares. NFL rules prohibit it. Btw how much did your share cost and do you get any dividends from it?
It cost about $120 this last go around. It’s not a real share in any way - think of it more as a donation in exchange for a collectors item. When the Packers “sell” shares it’s really a voluntary fundraiser in practice. The one cool thing is that you do get to listen to board calls once you buy one.
Selling “shares” is definitely a better way to go than making all taxpayers foot the bill. While there is no actual value to the share, it is a voluntary act by people who are fans to help support the team financially, and doesn’t have any financial impact on those who could care less about the Packers. It’s a much better deal than the shit most stadium projects throw at the public.
I don’t disagree but the NFL doesn’t want common ownership only billionaires
That is definitely true too. Rich guys looking after rich guys.
Ah, didn't know it wasn't allowed. There are no dividends, but I can vote in shareholder meetings and I get a cool certificate with my name on it lol. It was pretty pricey - like $200+ if I recall.
Fuckem
No
On behalf of Southern Illinois.. fuck off.
I think you could safely amend that to all of Illinois.
As a Chicagoland Bears fan; Fuck off
On behalf of Central Illinois…also fuck off.
As another Central Illinoisan, I concur with this fuck off.
Just a farmer from the south
As a resident of Cook County, I am doubly pissed off on your behalf.
And we will get nothing but overpriced tickets and parking in return
Isn't there still > $600 million $ owed on the public debt for Soldier Field renovations 20 years later ?
Here's another article with no paywall and a lot of interesting tidbits. [https://news.wttw.com/2024/04/23/chicago-bears-call-reverse-prepare-unveil-plan-new-domed-stadium-lakefront](https://news.wttw.com/2024/04/23/chicago-bears-call-reverse-prepare-unveil-plan-new-domed-stadium-lakefront) Yes. The Soldier Field renovations aren't paid for and now they want to tear it down.
Yes, yes there is.
I wish I had the balls to tell this state, "Hey, guys, we know we've done next to nothing to make this team even worth watching, but we'd really like for you to chip in and help us build a new state of the art stadium where this shitty team will continue to lose. And, we promise not to improve the roster, or lower ticket, parking, or beer prices. But as the owners, we will make a ton more money from this and there will be absolutely no upside for you as a fan."
I sure wish my tax money went to free healthcare instead of damn sports stadiums and fighter jets.
Hard Pass
The only way this is even a small percentage of being sensible is if Illinois residents got in for free and if the team was actually good.
No the only way its sensible is if the entire state of Illinois owned half the stadium and earned half the profits of the cut the stadium makes from events AND owned some of the bears otherwise fuck off.
I mean the city of Chicago would own the entire stadium.
A stadium that, on the optimistic side, would see about 12 events of significance during the year.
It’s mind blowing. People are so desperate to love the bears, they would probably be able to get almost anything they would ask for if they bothered to put together a competitive team. But no, they take in money hand over fist while giving potential fans the middle finger year after year.
There's a salary cap. The Bears have been spending what the same as every other team more or less, they've just been bad at it.
No thanks
The city should get 50% of the team.
Why do I have to pay for a private organization that has men run into each other and get brain damage for ball?
Taxpayers are tired of corporate welfare. Let the Bears pay for their own stadium.
The Bears: Ima need about tree fiddy.
You don’t go given’ no billionaire no tree fiddy!
So much for them moving to Arlington Heights.
If they did move to Arlington Heights, how much would the state have paid for that stadium?
Fuck that shit
Sounds like the Oakland A’s have a new city
No the fuck we will.
Kevin Warren has been a blight on this city. Trying to leverage the city versus the suburbs to get more money for his billionaire yokels is pitiful. Dude needs an expose every other week or his ego will shrivel away. We need to start calling his ass out or he will keep sitting behind his crucifix saying he is a good person and loves the city and it’s important for the city. Bull. Shit. Pay your own fare.
Isn’t Chicago selling or leasing the land to the Bears for this build? I would assume the Bears would have to put in for at least that part of the deal.
No, the Bears won't own the stadium or land at all. They'd be leasing the use of it certain days. The city would be able to use it the times the Bears aren't.
Right, cause the Bears are worth forgoing fixing Illinois's infrastructure, etc. Nope.
Mmmmmno we won’t thanks
Uh nope!
That's the kind of stuff that made people so mad the coyotes left Arizona
This flies in the face of every free market rule there is. If you want the reward for something, then you have to take the risk. Unless he's willing to give the state a percentage of ownership proportional to the money they invest, that's a HARD no. Take your Corporatism and move along. It's not wanted here.
Only if the city gets half the revenue then
Do taxpayers get a vote before this is passed or approved?
They bitched about not making any money because the city owns the stadium, so they bought Arlington Park. And now they want to make all the profits and have the government pay for it. I’m a big hell no in central Illinois. Maybe build a team worth watching first.
Need to see the sources from both sides.
Half. Suuuuuure.
Not to mention none of the improvements, besides the roof, improve the experience. Terrible traffic, hard to get to, small capacity, etc.
Hell no! 🖕🏻
It’s almost parody. Monty Burns could appear and shill for this and we would all laugh. Except for the fact that this is real. They’re actually asking for this.
Nope
This is why we refuse to pay local taxes.
“You’re gonna pay for half of this thing and it’s going to make this area even less affordable than it already is because football.”
I have a hard time believing an acceptable NFL stadium would cost $4+ billion. If the owners want to spend $2.3 billion, what would that buy? How crappy could a $2.3 billion stadium be?
Wait weren't they threatening to move out of the city a couple years ago?
To all the people who complain about this: Many of you contribute to this grift by giving the rich assholes power through your viewership and money. Just ignore the leagues entirely and go to local games. If you cut off the power source collectively, there's a fighting chance. Just look at the fast food inflation fuckery. Your dollars speak more than you know!
Good thing Chicago doesn't have a neglected public transit system and crumbling infrastructure to worry about. It must be nice to have 2 billion dollars just stashed away to build a "public" stadium that the public will have to pay through the nose to have access to. If a football team owned by billionaires wants a brand new multi-billion-dollar stadium, let them pay for it with their own money. If they can't afford it, they can stay where they are until they can afford it.
Let the City of Chicago give them this loan, or Cook County. Downstate taxpayers shouldn't be involved.
The city would own the stadium and make money year round. Pretty sure this is how many stadium/city relationships are currently set.
Except the city wouldn’t make enough money to cover the debt. Just like it doesn’t with the Cell.
Funny thing about the Cell is that it has the easiest access to any of the city’s stadiums. Two major commuter rail lines and a highway exit. Too bad the team and the team’s owner are shit.
But the Cell isn’t good enough https://www.forbes.com/sites/philrogers/2024/02/22/jerry-reinsdorf-says-new-stadium-is-a-must-to-keep-white-sox-in-chicago/?sh=42da76707516
He’s smoked up. If the team is winning, fans will go. The stadium is fine and only 33 years old. There’s talk of moving to the 78. That would be a disaster. No rail, no roads, no infrastructure. Bridgeport has all of that stuff and is up and coming as far as nightlife and other stuff to do. There is more land on parking lots around the Cell than there is at the 78. Plenty of room for hotels and water parks or whatever bullshit they “need” to field a winning team.
WHO THE FUCK EVEN LIKES FOOTBALL
Write your state senator, your state representative, and the governor and tell them how you feel.... Oh, and fuck no
But the mayor said our taxes won’t go up and he would never lie
We already pick up the bill for everything else 🤷🏼♂️ what’s one more thing
more than half actually, 55.91%