Chicago Bears inching nearer in $5B quest for 'dream' stadium & amenities

Justin Fields and the Chicago Bears play within the NFL‘s oldest stadium, Soldier Area. The town of Chicago, below former mayer Lori Lightfoot, made a number of proposals for renovating the century-old stadium, however the group desires to construct a brand new, state-of-the-art advanced 40 minutes away, in suburban Arlington Heights.

On Thursday, the group obtained some excellent news on that entrance.

New stadium, “campus” on the horizon for the Bears

The Bears have requested approval to demolish the Arlington Worldwide Racecourse, on land the group bought earlier this 12 months for $197 million.

The group is planning to construct a $5 billion “campus” on these 326 acres of land. The deliberate centerpiece will likely be a brand new $2.2 billion domed stadium, serving because the Bears’ new dwelling.

If the allow is accredited, building within the space may start as quickly as this summer season.

Breaking the Soldier Area lease

Discussions between the Bears and the town of Chicago in regards to the group’s future at Soldier Area have been held all through the years.

The Bears deliberate to maneuver into a brand new stadium within the mid-Nineteen Nineties however finally stayed put, and Soldier Area was renovated in 2003. The redesign was unpopular and lambasted domestically, whereas the stadium misplaced its designation as a Nationwide Historic Landmark.

The Bears’ lease at Soldier Area runs for one more 10 years, however starting in 2026, the group pays the town $90 million to interrupt the settlement and transfer elsewhere. This quantity decreases yearly till the lease expires in 2033.