Chicago Bears CEO Kevin Warren said that the team would still prefer to build a new stadium within city limits, and expressed a willingness to work with another team in securing funding for the project.
Speaking at the Economic Club of Chicago, Warren said that he’s aware of “how difficult” projects like the proposed stadium can be, but that the benefits would far outweigh the drawbacks, bringing marquee events and new jobs to the city.
“We’re missing out on concerts, multiple megaevents, including Super Bowls, Final Fours,” he said. “It will grow (our) businesses. If we don’t wrap our arms around some of these construction projects, we’re going to fall behind as a city and we need to do more as a city here in Chicago.”
Warren said that compared to other cities like Nashville and Toronto, Chicago is lagging far behind in new construction projects, and as a result is missing out on potential growth opportunities to keep the city vibrant.
The team has faced significant headwinds in getting legislators to consider public funding for a new stadium project, but Warren said that he’s willing to partner with other teams, including the Chicago White Sox, to forge the path forward.
“We have a great working relationship with them,” he said. “We’re definitely going to work together to see what we can figure out.”
He also said the team would be open to working with the Chicago Fire and Chicago Red Stars soccer clubs in trying to obtain funding for stadium projects and renovations. The Fire currently play at Soldier Field, while the Red Stars play at Bridgeview’s SeatGeek Stadium.
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The stadium project has taken plenty of twists and turns, culminating with the purchase of the site of the former Arlington International Racecourse in Feb. 2023. The team planned to use the property to build a new stadium and surrounding entertainment district, but negotiations over property taxes stalled, switching the team’s focus back to building a new stadium in Chicago.
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That proposed stadium would be built just to the south of Soldier Field along the lakefront, with the plan calling for the Bears and the NFL to cover approximately half of what would ultimately be a project with an estimated price tag of $5 billion.
That money would likely come from the state in the Bears’ plan, but lawmakers, including Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker, expressed skepticism about the appetite for public spending.
That proposal came around the same time as the White Sox pushing for a new stadium in “The 78,” a parcel of land in the South Loop where the team hoped to build a ballpark and entertainment district. That project would also require public funds, and has received a similarly chilly reception in Springfield.
There are currently no plans to negotiate on terms for public financing of either stadium project, with the Bears and White Sox both still locked in leases at their current facilities.
