The Bears are positioned for a future move from downtown Chicago to the suburb of Arlington Heights to build a new “world-class” stadium. Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot suggests the city do its own renovations to keep the team in town. A mayoral committee will recommend Chicago “explore the feasibility” of adding a dome to Soldier Field, the Bears’ longtime open-air stadium, along with other significant updates to the historic venue, according to Crain’s Chicago Business.
But on Friday, the Bears shot down those suggestions, revealing it’s either Arlington Park – where they plan to build their new home – or it’s broke.
“The only potential project the Chicago Bears are considering for a new stadium development is Arlington Park,” a Bears spokesman said in a statement to the Daily Herald. “As part of our mutual agreement with the seller of this property, we are not pursuing any alternative stadium deals or locations, including renovations of Soldier Field, while we are under contract.”
The Bears may end their Soldier Field lease in 2026, and the team last fall finalized a purchase agreement for Arlington International Racecourse, a 326-acre property in Arlington Heights with a view to building an all-new complex. Last renovated in 2002, Soldier Field is an iconic destination among NFL venues because of its history, but it also has the smallest capacity (61,500) of any current stadium. The Arlington Heights area would also potentially give the Bears room to expand their stadium into a multi-purpose entertainment complex.
Lightfoot has publicly floated the idea of enclosing Soldier Field before, most recently in February. But their Lakefront Museum Campus Working Group, formed to recommend strategic investments for Chicago’s lakefront landmarks, is now expected to formally propose improvements for Soldier Field. This would involve the rebuilding of parts of the nearly 100-year-old stadium and the possible sale or granting of naming rights to the venue, which has been home to the bears since 1971.
If the Bears considered the dome proposal, it would likely require taxpayer contributions at an estimated cost of between $400 million and $1.5 billion, according to Crain’s. Recent NFL stadiums to open with closed canopies include the Chargers and Rams’ SoFi Stadium in California, which has reportedly cost more than $5 billion; and Raiders’ Allegiant Stadium in Nevada, which costs approximately $1.9 billion.
The Bears seem more than ready to take another step forward out of town. Chicago previously played at Wrigley Field until 1970, but had to move to a larger stadium due to AFL-NFL merger policies, which required all stadiums to be over 50,000 spectators. Soldier Field has undergone two renovations since 1971, most recently in 2002 when the stadium was converted into a state-of-the-art sporting events facility.