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Originally Posted by ardecila
Look at how long LA waited to get their two teams, after having none for decades. I wouldn't bet on a "build it and they will come" strategy.
There's no reason to spend a whopping $2.2B putting a dome on Soldier Field if the Bears are leaving anyway. That money could totally revamp Grant Park for events, put LSD in a tunnel, pay for building out Northerly Island per Studio Gang's master plan. It could pay for a busway from Michigan Ave and Navy Pier to the Museum Campus. It could rebuild all the L stops in the Loop that haven't been renovated yet. Etc etc. As big as Millennium Park was for the City of Chicago, $2.2B could have the same impact 20 years later. Instead we are supposed to just chase the same handful of sporting events that every other city also wants?
If the stadium events can pay for the dome on their own with no taxpayer money, that's great... but it's a fantasy. Literally every piece of real world evidence is screaming that it can't be privately funded. It's just too costly. The Bears are not even asking for a dome in Arlington Heights. MetLife Stadium in NJ could not afford a dome even with the support of two NFL franchises.
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LA only got them by taking teams from its neighbor 3 hours south, San Diego. I believe that the CSA of LA is 17-18 million, much bigger than Chicago's 10 million. It's probably too late for a dome on Soldier Field as I think the Bears are near certain to leave. They should have done it with the last renovation as they would have likely gotten at least one Superbowl, some Big Ten football championship games, and maybe some Final Four games.