Latest Post | Last 10 Posts | Archives
Previous Post: Open thread
Next Post: Illinois Hospitals Are Driving Economic Activity Across Illinois: $117.7B Annually And 445K Jobs
Posted in:
* House Speaker Chris Welch yesterday when asked about the Chicago Bears stadium plan…
Welch: Let me say this. I’m going to say to you publicly what I said to Kevin Warren privately last week: If we were to put this issue on the board for a vote right now, it would fail and it would fail miserably. There is no environment for something like this today.
Now in Springfield, environments change. Will that environment change within the next 30 days? I think that’s highly unlikely. You know, I think there’s a whole lot of Chicago Bears fans in the General Assembly, but our priorities are pretty clear. And we, starting next week, have one month to pass another balanced budget to, continue the positive outlook that Moody’s talked about yesterday with regard to our financial health. And I can tell you, that’s something that we have front and center as a top priority for us right now. Taking care of working families across this state is the top priority for us right now.
Q: [Does he envision any scenario where this could happen?]
Welch: Again, environments do change in Springfield. I mean, peoples’ minds can be convinced, there’s gonna be a lot of conversations. But as the governor noted, there’s three teams in Chicago. You have the Bears, the White Sox and the Chicago Red Stars, the women’s soccer team. They’re all wanting a share of this pot. And I think you have to seriously have those conversations as well. You know, in sports, equity is very important. Equity is at the center of everything we do in the House. And so I don’t think anyone can be left out of that conversation. And so, I think what’s happening today is really the kickoff, no pun intended, of some conversations to be had.
Discuss.
…Adding… Mayor Brandon Johnson talked to NBC Sports Chicago after yesterday’s presser…
How does Johnson respond to the lack of alignment between the city of Chicago and the state of Illinois?
“Well, I run the city of Chicago,” Johnson said. “I mean, that’s my responsibility to people in Chicago voted for me to run the city. And what the city has made very clear is that the public use and the public benefits to transform the lakefront. That has always been my goal. It’s not about just keeping the bears in the city of Chicago, which we have a commitment from the Bears to remain in Chicago, but it’s also about the transformation that exists there.
“Now, as far as the next steps, of course, to engage the speaker of the House, the Senate president to engage the governor, to engage the people of Chicago as a whole. That is also part of the process. But we needed to make sure that the Bears organization and my administration were on the same page. And when it comes to investing in this moment, creating hundreds of thousands of jobs, we’re talking about $3.5 billion of income in our workers.”
Full video is here.
posted by Rich Miller
Thursday, Apr 25, 24 @ 10:10 am
Previous Post: Open thread
Next Post: Illinois Hospitals Are Driving Economic Activity Across Illinois: $117.7B Annually And 445K Jobs
WordPress Mobile Edition available at alexking.org.
powered by WordPress.
So he’s not against extending the hotel tax for billionaire sports owners, he’s just not ready to give it all to the bears?
Comment by Sox Fan Thursday, Apr 25, 24 @ 10:14 am
I guess my first thought is, will any high-profile Bears employees travel to Springfield in the next month? If they’re not going to engage directly with the vote-counting process, it’s hard to see how anything makes it to the floor.
Comment by vern Thursday, Apr 25, 24 @ 10:18 am
Kevin Warren channeling Lloyd Christmas: So you’re telling me there’s a chance.
Comment by Derek Smalls Thursday, Apr 25, 24 @ 10:18 am
Sounds like the Bears and their lobbyists need to go into their two minute drill w one timeout left.
Comment by low level Thursday, Apr 25, 24 @ 10:19 am
Still waiting for someone to ask the Bears “why” they want to give up on Arlington Heights and 100% ownership of the property in exchange for remaining a partner with the Park District, a difficult and limiting arrangement over the years.
Comment by Save Ferris Thursday, Apr 25, 24 @ 10:19 am
If this is truly the plan, I am ticked off that they demolished a perfectly good racetrack for nothing.
Comment by Hannibal Lecter Thursday, Apr 25, 24 @ 10:24 am
The Chicago Red Stars did draw 53,000 fans in their 11 home games last Fall so they of course will need a new stadium too
https://soccerstadiumdigest.com/2023-nwsl-attendance/
Comment by Anonymous Thursday, Apr 25, 24 @ 10:27 am
“Well, I run the city of Chicago”
Strong leaders don’t need to constantly remind people that they’re in charge.
Comment by NIU Grad Thursday, Apr 25, 24 @ 10:27 am
Someone needs to explain to me why the owners of a six billion dollar franchise need one cent of public money to make this happen. The McCaskeys could pay for it themselves and still live like tycoons.
Comment by Jocko Thursday, Apr 25, 24 @ 10:28 am
So when do we reach the point where the Mayor of Chicago is capable of saying something substantive that clarifies why people should support this? All I’m reading from him so far is a lot of gibberish that I’m unfortunately nowhere near dumb enough to believe.
Comment by Larry Bowa Jr. Thursday, Apr 25, 24 @ 10:32 am
“creating hundreds of thousands of jobs” according to the Mayor??
Prove it!!!
Comment by Appears Thursday, Apr 25, 24 @ 10:32 am
==Strong leaders ==
Exactly. Kevin Warren is the coach and he should bench Mayor Johnson if they are going to have any chance at success.
Comment by low level Thursday, Apr 25, 24 @ 10:35 am
I agree with Save Ferris. Why is Arlington out of the picture?
Comment by Stones Thursday, Apr 25, 24 @ 10:39 am
I honestly can’t tell if the Bears are incredibly dumb or are merely incredibly stubborn. It has been so freaking obvious to literally everyone that there is no meaningful support at the city-, county-, or state-level (a lame duck-in-chief Johnson is barely much of anything) that the fact that they keep barking up this tree and expecting things to change is honestly surprising even to me.
Just move them to Gary and make Indianapolis pay for it already, guys.
Comment by TJ Thursday, Apr 25, 24 @ 10:50 am
I did not know that the mayor was given a mandate to transform the lakefront. i don’t remember him campaigning on that. Are the Bears going to guarantee those hundreds of thousands of jobs?
The Governor and others will save the Bears from themselves and they will end up in Arlington Heights. The Bears could sell more shares to Pat Ryan and he could help build new stadium he is doing it for Northwestern and he has the money
Comment by DuPage Saint Thursday, Apr 25, 24 @ 10:50 am
@stones: the barez have been complaining for years about lack of ownership and renting from the park district.
Comment by Jerry Thursday, Apr 25, 24 @ 10:51 am
== I agree with Save Ferris. Why is Arlington out of the picture? ==
Because, for some reason, they thought that the Chicago politicians that run the county and the state would open up public coffers for a suburban stadium, and when that wasn’t the case (because of course that would never happen) the financial incentive to pay for their own stadium out there evaporated.
Comment by TJ Thursday, Apr 25, 24 @ 10:51 am
= the financial incentive to pay for their own stadium out there evaporated.=
Best I can tell what evaporated was a few million a year in property tax savings. The Bears have $200 million a year in operating income. After development of the site in AH, they would be in line to make way more. They would own or have sold off development rights to 300+ acres of prime real estate with a legacy tenant next door.
Or maybe the Bears figured out, long term, private ownership of a massive multi-billion building that is used less than 20 days a year and requires tens of millions of dollars in upkeep every year - isn’t worth it. So stick the overhead and legacy costs on the taxpayers.
Comment by Cool Papa Bell Thursday, Apr 25, 24 @ 10:58 am
There are plenty of NFL owners who are perfectly willing to invest their own money into privately funded stadiums. If the Bears aren’t one of them they should sell the business to someone who is capable of doing what they are not. Same goes for the White Sox.
Comment by Pundent Thursday, Apr 25, 24 @ 11:01 am
This plan invests in households. Well, just one household specifically — the McCaskey household. We’re building a better, strong, safer Chicago for the McCaskey family.
Comment by Three Dimensional Checkers Thursday, Apr 25, 24 @ 11:05 am
The Bears have offered 2.3 billion in “private investment” — which happens to be the cost of the plan to dome Soldier Field that was offered during the Lightfoot administration. So theoretically, that plan would require no public contribution.
Now, a lot of people are reflexively against anything Lightfoot was for (including me) and that proposal deserves more scrutiny. But no matter what, it’s gonna pencil out at a lot less than 4.6 billion and it won’t have Friends of the Park issues, unlike the plan the Bears unveiled yesterday.
Comment by Frankie Thursday, Apr 25, 24 @ 11:05 am
The owners of the Chicago Cubs have managed to expand and maintain their 108 stadium with minimal public assistance. Other franchise owners should do the same.
The Halas/McCaskey family has owned their team for over a century and have never done more than pay rent and complain.
Comment by Gravitas Thursday, Apr 25, 24 @ 11:06 am
How can anyone take this proposal seriously?
Who is more delusional here, the guy who “runs the city of Chicago” or the guy who runs the Bears?
Just looking at the mayor, mccaskey and Warren up there smiling about this project is like looking at some 5th graders trying to explain their science fair project to the judges.
Comment by Henry Francis Thursday, Apr 25, 24 @ 11:07 am
I’ve read a lot of stadium pitches, but I don’t think I’ve ever read any official tout a stadium project as a source for “hundreds of thousands of jobs.” This might be the windiest wind MBJ has ever blown.
Comment by Jurist Thursday, Apr 25, 24 @ 11:10 am
The PILOT special assessment language would be a pretty easy lift at the moment.
Comment by *Ducks* Thursday, Apr 25, 24 @ 11:14 am
===This might be the windiest wind===
Yeah. That was quite something.
Comment by Rich Miller Thursday, Apr 25, 24 @ 11:16 am
The Cubs analogy is instructive. The Cubs primarily needed City Hall’s help to win the War of the Rooftops, but that wasn’t an unfair ask( since all those folks were basically free riding on the Cubs’ product.) Once the rooftop owners were crushed, then the Cubs sure asked, but ultimately they ponied up for their own project. And they did that even while, unlike the Bears, the Cubs are probably the one sports franchise in Chicago that does draw significant economic spillovers to the city from visiting suburbanites and tourists.
Just say no to this stadium idea, in other words.
Comment by ZC Thursday, Apr 25, 24 @ 11:17 am
==we’re talking about $3.5 billion of income in our workers==
Please correct me if I’m wrong, but, that’s not how it works, right? Like not at all?
Comment by known Thursday, Apr 25, 24 @ 11:24 am
One thing yesterday proved is that Warren sold George McCaskey a gigantic bill of goods to get hired. If after being here 9 months and trying to understand all the political landscape that he needs to navigate putting Mayor 1 term with a 25% approval rating in the forefront is in itself a fireable offense.
When you don’t have the Governor, the Senate President or the Speaker on your side the game isn’t even going to start. Call this one a rain out.
Comment by Long time Independent Thursday, Apr 25, 24 @ 11:29 am
Serious question: Soldier Field has a second professional sports team as a tenant. I have not seen anything posted by the Chicago Fire about this proposal. Obviously they are a smaller draw, but they fill twice as many dates at Soldier Field as the Bears do. Have the Bears said anything about what happens to the Fire if this pipe dream becomes reality? Or is this another trifling detail to be added to the list of “Give us the money first, then we’ll sort out the little stuff?”
Comment by Roadrager Thursday, Apr 25, 24 @ 11:33 am
To be fair, the Cubs aren’t an apt analogy, Wrigley Field the ballpark and Wrigleyville the location are big parts of their franchise value and earnings. The Bears will make money on the lakefront, elsewhere in the city, in the suburbans, or over in the Hoosier boonies. At least in their heads, they think they could use the threat to move whereas nobody bought that the Cubs would walk away from the cash cow that is Wrigley/ville.
Comment by TJ Thursday, Apr 25, 24 @ 11:36 am
“Well, I run the city of Chicago”
Ahh yes, the election and your constant reminders have made that clear. What else ya got?
Comment by Politix Thursday, Apr 25, 24 @ 11:36 am
NO to another excrescence on the lakefront, and NO to one cent of taxpayer money going to billionaires.
Comment by JoanP Thursday, Apr 25, 24 @ 11:51 am
===“Well, I run the city of Chicago”===
Does he? Does he, though?
Comment by Suburban Mom Thursday, Apr 25, 24 @ 11:52 am
==The Cubs analogy is instructive. The Cubs primarily needed City Hall’s help to win the War of the Rooftops, but that wasn’t an unfair ask( since all those folks were basically free riding on the Cubs’ product.)==
This isn’t really accurate. The Cubs beat the rooftops in court over whether they were allowed to build a bleacher expansion that reduced most rooftop’s views to [probably banned word]. After they won that case the rooftops had a badly damaged business model.
https://www.reuters.com/article/idUSKCN1BC5WO/
Per my rooftop friend Beth Murphy (RIP) the real hit on the rooftops from City Hall came right after they did the original 17% royalty deal with the Cubs. City Hall showed up soon after demanding all kinds of costly life safety upgrades and ADA improvements. Which is why most of them were gut rehabbed in the years soon after that original Cubs & rooftops deal. Lived that fun chapter.
Comment by ChicagoBars Thursday, Apr 25, 24 @ 11:56 am
== Does he? Does he, though? ==
Yes, but he didn’t finish his sentence.
“Well, I run the city of Chicago into the ground.”
Comment by TJ Thursday, Apr 25, 24 @ 12:02 pm
I agree with long term independent. And thanx for Wrigleyville refresher Chicago Bars.
Comment by Jerry Thursday, Apr 25, 24 @ 12:32 pm
Soldier Field is also a publicly owned asset that generates revenue for the Chicago Park District. How will this proposal impact the Park District’s revenue going forward?
Comment by 47th Ward Thursday, Apr 25, 24 @ 12:40 pm
I’m basically ok with how the Cubs v. Rooftop stuff played out. The Cubs had no obligation to allow free views from third parties into their property, so the Cubs should absolutely have won that case. Similarly, the city absolutely was correct to enforce health and safety/ADA compliance if you’re building commercial grandstands on top of buildings not originally meant for it.
I find the Ricketts odious for various political reasons, but you can’t deny that they have been willing to put their money into their projects, and have been successful in doing so. The Sox could have looked at Wrigleyville and said “Let’s do that at 35th St” but instead decided they would rather have seas of parking lots. The Bears could do the same thing, but again, they are unwilling to spend any money.
The Cubs have shown what a private enterprise is entirely capable of doing in Chicago successfully on its own without any free handouts. I don’t see why the Sox or Bears should get rewarded for being unwilling to do it too.
Comment by Homebody Thursday, Apr 25, 24 @ 12:54 pm
Anyone have a guess as to why the head of the CTU was in attendance?
Comment by Baseball Thursday, Apr 25, 24 @ 1:04 pm
“Well, I run the city of Chicago”
Oh, did Jason Lee speak at the presser?
Comment by New Day Thursday, Apr 25, 24 @ 1:44 pm
I run the city of Chicago. Well you better go catch it
Comment by Rabid Thursday, Apr 25, 24 @ 1:57 pm
“One thing yesterday proved is that Warren sold George McCaskey a gigantic bill of goods to get hired.”
Probably but either way George would need someone to tell him that.
I’m guessing the desperation is coming from some portion of the family, for whatever reason. The clumsy and self-defeating urgency doesn’t make sense otherwise.
Comment by Larry Bowa Jr. Thursday, Apr 25, 24 @ 2:33 pm
@Stones “Why is Arlington out of the picture?”
I think it’s pretty simple. The McCaskey’s can no longer afford the build. There are debt caps of $700mm per franchise agreed on by the league owners. This is so no team takes on too much debt, files bankruptcy, and has a judge decide who to sell the team to. The 32 NFL owners want exclusive rights as to who joins the Ownership Club. We don’t want no stinkin’ judge telling us who gets to buy!
The McCaskey’s can probably scrounge up the $2.0bn they offered yesterday. $700mm from debt. $300mm from the league’s Stadium fund, and $1bn from other sources (a crap ton of new PSLs as part of that).
But with the build now north of $3.0bn, escalating by north of $100mm per year (inflation), they’re priced out.
I was in the “The lakefront is just a feint to get AH to cave on the taxes” angle. But now I think the McCaskey family, who never diversified their income, is stuck. They need the state money because it doesn’t encumber the franchise. It encumbers us.
Comment by Save Ferris Thursday, Apr 25, 24 @ 3:36 pm
I need to proofread better. I meant to say that Wrigley Field is 108 years old. Sorry for the omission.
Yes, it has been expanded, renovated and remodeled over the course of many decades.
I am tired of sports owners who continually call upon the taxpayers to pitch in to support their teams and facilities and cannot maintain what they have. Both the Bears and Sox played this game with taxpayers before and now want new venues.
Comment by Gravitas Thursday, Apr 25, 24 @ 3:39 pm
@homebody- “The Cubs have shown what a private enterprise is entirely capable of doing in Chicago successfully on its own without any free handouts.”
Kinda. The Cubs asked. Then it came out that Papa Joe and Todd were cutting commercials against Obama. Kinda left Tom a weak hand when he went to Rahm, who knows Obama a bit, for cash.
The Ricketts didn’t spend their own money because they wanted to. They were left with no other choice.
Comment by Save Ferris Thursday, Apr 25, 24 @ 3:40 pm
- Jurist - Thursday, Apr 25, 24 @ 11:10 am:
I’ve read a lot of stadium pitches, but I don’t think I’ve ever read any official tout a stadium project as a source for “hundreds of thousands of jobs.” This might be the windiest wind MBJ has ever blown.
And don’t forget to pair it with the fact that he also said “One more time, to make sure that everybody gets that: This project will result in no new taxes on the residents of Chicago.”
Unfortunately, his advisors forgot to mention that Chicago still sits in the state of Illinois - and that $2.4 billion has to come from somewhere. With every passing day, for a man who says “I run the city of Chicago,” he only continues to prove just how far over his skis he is.
Comment by Just a guy Thursday, Apr 25, 24 @ 3:44 pm
“But with the build now north of $3.0bn, escalating by north of $100mm per year (inflation), they’re priced out”
OK, here’s the plan. The McCaskeys sell the team, then use that equity to build the stadium for the new owners.
[claps dust off hands] My work here is done.
Comment by Proud Papa Bear Thursday, Apr 25, 24 @ 5:23 pm