CHICAGO | The Bears are maybe moving somewhere (who the fuck knows)

[Rizzo]

I was just thinking today how the Lions built Ford Field for $500 Million and the same time soldier field was renovated for about $100M more. Ford Field has a dome and integrated some historic warehouses. The whole feel of that place 20 years later is brand new and modern. I guess it was future-proofed. Just crazy to think how badly soldier renovations were done because it all feels to have gone in reverse with the exception of some of unique modern features like the cantilevered scoreboard, the renovations feel more 80’s / 90’s aesthetically and concessions, stairs, ceiling heights, bathrooms crowded and chaotic

I get this feeling that if they prevail in a new stadium, it will feel like a decade old.

It’s a shame they never tried to build a new stadium somewhere along the south branch. Maybe just south of the Clinton blue line stop prior to all the mall buildings.

[Steely Dan]

Originally Posted by Rizzo

I get this feeling that if they prevail in a new stadium, it will feel like a decade old.

but of course.

it's the fucking McCaskeys running the show, afterall.

please god, please, let this sorry-ass limp-dick NFL franchise fold, leave town, be sold, or otherwise cease to exist in its current sad-sack state of unrelenting patheticness and suckage.


signed,

seven thoroughly embarrassed generations of chicagoans.

[Randomguy34]

Johnson, Bears begin talks over team's future home

Mayor Brandon Johnson and the Chicago Bears have begun conversations about the future location of team games, both sides said today.

But at least for now, they're pretty mum on what if anything was accomplished, though they said they'd continue to talk.

What's known is that Johnson and Bears President Kevin Warren talked, by phone, and then jointly issued identical statements.

"Today, we met and discussed our shared values and commitment to the city of Chicago, the importance of deep roots and the need for equitable community investment throughout the city," the statements said. "We are both committed to the idea that the city and its major civic institutions must grow and evolve together to meet the needs of the future. We look forward to continuing the dialogue around these shared values."

https://www.chicagobusiness.com/greg...-stadium-talks

[bhawk66]

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[galleyfox]

Originally Posted by bnk

Lake Forest now makes the most sense. Cook county cuts off its nose to spite its face. Waukegan is an absolute no go, might as well put it in Gary.
Naperville in DuPage could be a back up.
Or Soldier Field if it can be domed and capacity expanded a lot, Lightfoot's plan but with more capacity, Chicago would have to make huge financial concessions to make it financially viable.
Pleasant Prairie Wisconsin is a place with tons of land and an option not discussed but its north of the cheddar curtain, so we can probably rule that out.


...

Lake Forest: LOL, No.

It all depends on which random gullible exurb has a cornfield and a few billion to waste.

Personally, I think the Bears have been flat-out lying about building transit oriented development this whole time, so Arlington Heights is probably dodging a bullet.

In an email, LF City Manager Jason Wicha called the Bears a wonderful community partner but said the city is not contemplating an NFL stadium for the community. Says the city will continue to support the team through Halas Hall.

[galleyfox]

Originally Posted by bnk

The Bears are not asking for public money to build their stadium. Not sure people realize that. They just don't want to be fleeced by having their property taxes quadrupled.

They just want a sweetheart deal to perpetually freeze their taxes at an obscenely low rate and push all the operating costs onto whatever suburb falls for their grift, I mean “gift.”

Poor Bears. Think of all the Monster Truck Jams that won’t come to Chicago.

[west-town-brad]

where is that "3rd chicago airport" site that the state of IL says they are going to build?

they have a lot of unused land sitting around there that the state already owns

[moorhosj1]

Originally Posted by bnk

Who ever destroyed that field deserves some time
And not easy time

This would be....the Bears (specifically, Mike McCaskey). They are the reason the renovation didn't include a dome and is the smallest in the NFL. The same team you are ready to cow to right now.

[r18tdi]

Originally Posted by bnk

If Ravinea can meet the needs on metra for large concerts for full weekends

There is no reason why lake county could not accommodate the bears needs so long as the have a space large enough by metra

Ravinia festival max capacity is roughly 15,000 versus 70,000+ for the new stadium.

[galleyfox]

Originally Posted by moorhosj1

This would be....the Bears (specifically, Mike McCaskey). They are the reason the renovation didn't include a dome and is the smallest in the NFL. The same team you are ready to cow to right now.

Seriously. Chicago assumes tons of debt according to the plans and desires of the Bears just for them to become deadbeats a few years later.

Then somehow there’s shocked Pikachu surprise that Cook County, the Arlington Heights school district and perhaps even the village itself would rather have the property tax payments upfront than deal with their BS.

“This business plan doesn’t work without forever freebies from the government” isn’t exactly a ringing endorsement of success.

Especially when Arlington Park could just use regular tax and finance tools to redevelop the property to something productive with much less hassle.

[nomarandlee]

Originally Posted by bnk

So Aurora

The bears will and should get their best tax deal since they are not asking for any public money to build a personal stadium that they can rent out to the state of Illinois of all of those great things we simply cannot do because of the current location is so small

We as humans should be embarrassed by the mistake on the lake that when a ufo landed on protected grounds

Who ever destroyed that field deserves some time
And not easy time

Perhaps they should, if I advised them, I would perhaps say to go after the best deal. If they want to move to Salt Lake City or St.Louis, I will help to host the moving party. I find that preferable to any municipality in the region being suckered into shelling out hundreds of millions in any breaks or subsidies.

What "should be" the reality is that it should be illegal for professional sports teams and leagues, especially the major ones, to ask for tax breaks or tax subsidies to help build their stadium behemoths. It is a full-on scam. There should be a stipulation that teams are not allowed to receive any such handouts from any municipality more than once every 40-50 years, or that it should be capped at 15% for surrounding infrastructure cost etc.

[SnowFire]

Chicago should retain rights to the bears brand if they leave. They can go make a fresh brand if they want. That should be cheap.

[twister244]

Originally Posted by nomarandlee

What "should be" the reality is that it should be illegal for professional sports teams and leagues, especially the major ones, to ask for tax breaks or tax subsidies to help build their stadium behemoths. It is a full-on scam. There should be a stipulation that teams are not allowed to receive any such handouts from any municipality more than once every 40-50 years, or that it should be capped at 15% for surrounding infrastructure cost etc.

Yep - Especially if it's a big stadium that sits empty 99% of the year. If the Bears were making an effort to stay at Soldier Field and work with the city/state to build out OC, etc, then we could have a convo about tax breaks, but what is happening here the Bears trying to get a handout without actual feedback to the community.

[moorhosj1]

Originally Posted by twister244

Yep - Especially if it's a big stadium that sits empty 99% of the year. If the Bears were making an effort to stay at Soldier Field and work with the city/state to build out OC, etc, then we could have a convo about tax breaks, but what is happening here the Bears trying to get a handout without actual feedback to the community.

As ridiculous as One Central is in many ways, it seems more and more appealing as the Bears saga goes on.

The Bears can build out the additional revenue generators (sportsbooks, restaurants, etc.) without the liability of a $2 billion new stadium-build. The city can improve transit to/from the southside, the one-seat ride from McCormick to O'Hare can happen, we get more housing on the southern lakefront, etc.

[Randomguy34]

^ That's what's frustrating with One Central. The development isn't inherently bad, many of us were supportive when it was first proposed. The problem is that they want $6.5 billion in subsidies, which is more than what even the Bears are asking.

[ardecila]

Originally Posted by Randomguy34

^ That's what's frustrating with One Central. The development isn't inherently bad, many of us were supportive when it was first proposed. The problem is that they want $6.5 billion in subsidies, which is more than what even the Bears are asking.

Yeah I'm curious what Dunn could build there without any public monies. Or what kind of handout he would need to JUST build a deck without any transit upgrades. I'm all in favor of rebuilding the 18th St Metra stop, and putting in bus platforms so the McCormick Busway can be used for actual transit. Anything beyond that (like a harebrained L extension) seems wildly unnecessary.

[Handro]

https://www.chicagobusiness.com/poli...g-team-chicago

Johnson, Bears meet over plans to keep team in city

The team is also not thrilled with the alternate suburban sites offered in recent months, according to the source, providing a narrow opening for Johnson to wedge the city back into the team’s future plans.

...

The locations Johnson is offering are unknown, but there are only a handful of options that are large enough to satisfy the need for an NFL stadium and potentially a surrounding entertainment district.

I know the smart money is for Arlington Heights to cave and the Bears to go ahead with the move, but hear me out: I had a dream and the Bears are going to build at The 78. Mark my words.

[twister244]

Originally Posted by Handro

https://www.chicagobusiness.com/poli...g-team-chicago

Johnson, Bears meet over plans to keep team in city




I know the smart money is for Arlington Heights to cave and the Bears to go ahead with the move, but hear me out: I had a dream and the Bears are going to build at The 78. Mark my words.

I'm still putting LY in the Dark Horse camp on this. Put the stadium on the Northern or Southern block of land, and put a massive parking/mixed use structure on the opposite side with a ped bridge. Could be a coincidence as to why suddenly Sterling Bay is in "trouble" with their master plan there.......

[left of center]

I'm fine with either the 78 or LY. Hell, I'm even fine with them staying at Soldier, and the team building a "stadium village" over the tracks/on the One Central parcels. And while I'd prefer they stay in the city, I'm also fine with the Bears moving to the burbs. I'm fine with everything. As long as not one. single. cent. of taxpayer money is used.

[aaron38]

Demolition at AH is moving ahead. Most of the dorms are gone and a big chunk has been ripped out of the grandstands. Regardless of what gets built there, the site is being cleared.