[nomarandlee]

Originally Posted by 2PRUROCKS!

For the actual MR site the most logical CTA station to travel to and from would be the Green line station at 35th St. That is about 1.1 miles and a 25min walk. The Roosevelt station is 0.8 miles and a 19 min walk from Soldier Field.

For the MR site, are you using the actual hospital footprint in the SE quadrant? I have always thought the best potential site would be the NW corner where McDonald's on MLK Drive sits, so I measured from there.

Either MR location is not at a real disadvantage via CTA compared to the Waldron Deck/Lakefront location. Google Maps shows me 28 minutes from Roosevelt Station to Waldron Deck (which is far north as the new SF stadium is discussed).

In addition to being closer, the Roosevelt station provides direct connections without transfers to multiple lines. In addition to this there is already an 18th St IC station serving SF but no station currently servicing MR

As interesting as the Green Line and IC discussion is, it would be worthwhile to know just how many fans use the IC and CTA (train, not bus) for Bears games currently. My guess? Not even 10%.

Building and integrating a new station with the stadium at the North Michael Reese site would not be difficult. One could argue that even the current MCC station would suffice and provide a more pleasant climate-controlled walk to a theoretical stadium compared to the current, exposed, and dilapidated 18th IC station (that may even be rebuilt as part of the lakefront stadium plan. So a new station, either way, is a wash).

Also LSD already more easily connects to SF than MR.

If that is the case then what are the Bears talking about needing to make it more acccesible?

The MR stadium could be easily accessed via 31st Street, S.Lake Park Drive, MLK Dr, and Moe Drive. Plus, I think it is fair to assume that most city and suburban fans would be coming west via I-55 anyhow.

Just to bring MR on par with the current situation at SF will cost over $1 billion. Increase that even more if you need to acquire and relocate the Advocate and McDonalds sites.

I'm just not seeing what you are seeing regarding the expense of MR.

However, I think providing all the mysterious new access roads and lakefront parking garages and demolishing the current Soldier Field would incur far more needless costs than anywhere at the MR site.

The Bears supposedly want $1 billion to improve the transit and overall configuration of the MC area including a pedestrian bride to Northerly Island that doesn't directly benefit them but improves the overall MC campus and access to Northerly Island and Lakefront that benefits all Chicagoans not just a stadium like the MR improvements you propose would.

The city can spend 50 million on a pedestrian bridge to Northerly without demolishing SF and building an expensive 7k-10k underground parking garage on the lakefront. It should not be treated as some grand package deal.
We do not need a new lakefront stadium and the Bears to come to save the day to make Northerly Island finally happen. That is a false choice.

I also think you underestimate how many people would take transit to events at a new stadium. Almost all events I have gone to at SF I have used public transportation for at least a portion of the trip and judging by the foot traffic and busyness at stations I would say well over 10% use public transportation.

Why would people take PT to Waldron Deck along the lakefront compared to the degree to which they take it to SF now, when they are effectively at the same spot? Unless you are entertaining the multi-billion fantasies of the One Central development being realized (which I am most definitely not).

I think you are overestimating the number of people who use PT for SF events, especially in the winter months. I also think the potential links via the busway and IC station at MR could help capture more PT users than a new SF could ever hope to.

The devil is in the details and I haven't seen the Bears actual proposal so maybe it will be good or awful or somewhere in the middle. I'm not against the MR site I just think you seriously underestimate the cost and logistics involved.

Perhaps. I see the MR infrastructure as essentially set to go, except perhaps a new IC station (and the current MCC station is likely just fine) and a new pedestrian bridge connecting the lakefront to the MR site (not required, but would be nice). Rebuilding the road network through MR will happen in the next five years, anyway we all expect.

...It will be interesting as just an exercise to see what the Bears imagine and construct as improvements to the lakefront and new SF site. I expect a needless boondoggle, but we hopefully will see soon.