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* Mayor Johnson will attend the Bears’ press conference today unveiling plans for its new domed stadium. From a media advisory…
Mayor Brandon Johnson will attend the Lakeshore Redevelopment Press Conference.
Location: Soldier Field, 1410 S. Museum Campus Dr.
Time: 12:00 p.m.
* From a mayoral runoff debate in early March of 2023…
Mary Ann Ahern: The Chicago Bears. Mayor Lightfoot wants to keep them by renovating Soldier Field. Do you agree? And if so, how do you pay for it?
Paul Vallas: I don’t support the billion-dollar subsidies for sports teams and I certainly don’t support putting billions of dollars into Soldier Field.
Brandon Johnson: Of course, I want the Bears to say in the city of Chicago. You know, I grew up with the Super Bowl Shuffle. We need another one in Chicago. And so I’m prepared and willing to sit down and and work with the ownership. And let’s see what we can figure out. I’m asking the ownership of the Chicago Bears just to hold tight, a better, stronger, safer, Chicago as possible. And give the new administration, I’m going to bring an opportunity to make the case. But of course, not subsidizing but finding creative ways in which we can make sure that the Super Bowl Shuffle lives on and my son gets to see a Super Bowl in Chicago.
…Adding… From the Chicago Public Schools’ 2024 capital plan document…
The CPS facility portfolio includes 522 campuses and over 800 buildings. Our average facility is over 83 years old, and the total CPS critical facility need is over $3 billion.
And yet the mayor is supporting hundreds of millions of dollars in capital spending to build a domed stadium for a wealthy NFL franchise on Lake Michigan.
…Adding… SDG supports using state capital money for sports stadiums? Unreal…
posted by Rich Miller
Wednesday, Apr 24, 24 @ 9:19 am
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This is a boondoggle. To see the lobbyists assembled on another email was shocking. I am opposed.
Make them build on their own dollar either in AH (yes I have championed it) or in the city elsewhere. But heck no.
Comment by Rahm's Parking Meter Wednesday, Apr 24, 24 @ 9:25 am
Mayor Johnson needs to cancel this and go visit the family of the police officer who was killed. His press shoppe should know this.
He had it right the first time.
But then so did Mayor Lightfoot…although a little more abrasive with her Bears relevancy comment (even though she was right).
Comment by Jerry Wednesday, Apr 24, 24 @ 9:26 am
===was shocking===
Meh. It’s smart. This is a very, very heavy lift. Hire the best and work like heck.
Comment by Rich Miller Wednesday, Apr 24, 24 @ 9:28 am
For years now it’s been noted that there’s a lack of development downtown as indicated by the lack of cranes seen in the skyline.
Trade unions are demanding jobs.
What was promised with the ousting of Mary flowers and Cyril.
Two stadiums obviously.
Comment by Happy Go Lucky Wednesday, Apr 24, 24 @ 9:29 am
Fair, Rich but if the immediate social media reaction from sports fans is ANY indication, then you know where the taxpayers of this county will go.
Comment by Rahm's Parking Meter Wednesday, Apr 24, 24 @ 9:31 am
Chicago is a great tv market. Chicago is a great place to own a football team. Any owner that can’t afford to pay for a stadium in Chicago should sell to someone who can. Taxpayers shouldn’t be funding businesses. Chicago has a problem with homelessness isn’t that more worry of funding than a sports stadium?
Comment by Steve Wednesday, Apr 24, 24 @ 9:43 am
Again the McCaskeys luck out.
I’m surprised Brandon caved to partial public funding.
I guess this keeps the Loop businesses happy during
the NFL season.
Bears fans, let’s hope we get that QB in the first round.
Comment by Loop Lady Wednesday, Apr 24, 24 @ 9:45 am
=You know, I grew up with the Super Bowl Shuffle. We need another one in Chicago.=
Well, so did I. And a new stadium isn’t a guarantee of a new one. Now getting rid of the McCaskeys, that will go a longer way toward returning a Super Bowl to Chicago than any stadium would do.
Comment by NonAFSCMEStateEmployeefromChatham Wednesday, Apr 24, 24 @ 9:46 am
Former Governor Jesse Ventura, of all people, had it right.
I will be happy to talk to the Minnesota Twins and Vikings about public dollars for their stadium(s) the minute after every school building in this State has been replaced, and not a second before.
Amen.
Comment by Um, no Wednesday, Apr 24, 24 @ 9:49 am
===immediate social media reaction from sports fans===
I dunno. They’re gonna scream about everything. And they won’t be wrong about most of it.
But if it was me, I’d much rather take the hit for hiring some of the best lobsters than hire mediocre lobbyists and get rolled.
Comment by Rich Miller Wednesday, Apr 24, 24 @ 9:52 am
People are going to notice if the mayor is up there smiling and promising $2.3 billion to a team that has accomplished nothing in 38 years as they wonder for the third or fourth time this week if their train or bus is actually arriving while reading a story about the latest robbery crew making a run around the city. And they will not be particularly interested in the nuance of who specifically is responsible for what when it comes to those two things.
Comment by Roadrager Wednesday, Apr 24, 24 @ 9:52 am
If its gonna be a dome, why do they need to put it on the lakefront?
Comment by hisgirlfriday Wednesday, Apr 24, 24 @ 9:53 am
@jerry He already did visit the officer’s family, the day he was killed. I’m sure this was just an oversight and not a bad faith attack
Comment by Anon1 Wednesday, Apr 24, 24 @ 9:54 am
“Heavy lift” is a fun way of saying “opposed by the vast vast vast majority of the electorate, so you need to either trick the politicians or trick the electorate, so hire the best tricksters”.
Time to go point at that 2014 Princeton/Northwestern study about whose preferences actually impact policy though.
Comment by Homebody Wednesday, Apr 24, 24 @ 9:56 am
This feels like kabuki - owning a stadium in Arlington Heights always seemed like the Bears’ best option and they can’t seriously believe they’re going to get close to $2.3 billion in public financing) or not get tied up in litigation with Friends of the Park. We just saw what happened in Kansas City and that’s a franchise that seriously might leave for another metro area - could even the best lobbyists get Illinois pols to stick their necks out on this?
Comment by lake county democrat Wednesday, Apr 24, 24 @ 9:56 am
===I’m sure this was just an oversight and not a bad faith attack ===
Thanks for stepping in on that. Saved me the trouble.
People, slow down and take a breath.
===promising $2.3 billion to a team===
It’s not $2.3 billion.
And $900 million of the total is derived from an existing hotel tax that won’t change.
And Johnson can’t promise the rest because it’s state capital money. And in a city with a crushing need for more capital spending on public schools, you gotta wonder where he gets off with this.
Comment by Rich Miller Wednesday, Apr 24, 24 @ 9:59 am
“If its gonna be a dome, why do they need to put it on the lakefront?”
I had this exact question. Put an eyesore (and it’s going to be an eyesore if it’s a dome) out in the suburbs. I don’t see where this is any different than the Lucas Museum. Where are the Bears and the mayor getting the idea that they just propose this and it happens?
And “new lakefront dome that you get to help pay for” having been the Bears’ plan for all of the last 20 minutes doesn’t create a lot of confidence in the planning process.
Comment by Larry Bowa Jr. Wednesday, Apr 24, 24 @ 10:01 am
On the same day as the WBEZ report on the mayor’s defunding of public selective enrollment and magnet schools. Disgusting.
Comment by DS Wednesday, Apr 24, 24 @ 10:05 am
- in a city with a crushing need for more capital spending on public schools -
No kidding. There are plenty of public projects needed that could put more trades workers to work.
Comment by Excitable Boy Wednesday, Apr 24, 24 @ 10:07 am
I stand corrected. Sorry for causing any consternation.
Comment by Jerry Wednesday, Apr 24, 24 @ 10:21 am
==not subsidizing but finding creative ways==
Like what? A bake sale?
Gotta love the chutzpah of the McCaskey’s asking for $2.3 billion when the value of their franchise went UP 3.5 billion in the past five years.
Comment by Jocko Wednesday, Apr 24, 24 @ 10:26 am
Does the mayor ever say anything substantive? All I seem to read about him is him throwing out platitudes. He says “Super Bowl Shuffle” twice but fails to offer one idea to answer the question. He does refer to himself 5 times and his son once. The similarities between him and djt become more evident every day.
Comment by Henry Francis Wednesday, Apr 24, 24 @ 10:38 am
All this over 10 home games, maybe 10 concerts a year and one Super Bowl and Final Four over 20 years.
=And $900 million of the total is derived from an existing hotel tax that won’t change.=
IF the Bears existing remodel and Sox Park II were already paid off, I could find a path to support.
But $600 million is still owed on those two buildings. Mainly because the 2% tax isn’t enough to pay it off?
No thanks to kicking the can another 40 years down the road and hoping that’s long enough to pay off another stadium.
If we are picking outcomes, I’d much rather see the 2% motel tax stay (with stadiums paid off) and those dollars going to; Chicago schools, pensions, parks, CTA, or more important things.
Comment by Cool Papa Bell Wednesday, Apr 24, 24 @ 10:38 am
Arlington Heights location is starting to looking better and better. And the Bears will own it all instead of sharing with public entities that will pander to the electorate. Those throwing up obstacles in the suburbs and the city will throw them up anyway. Ask the Cubs who were reviled for beautifying and restoring a privately owned stadium and all the obstacles they still had to jump over. All those politicians will still come to the ribbon cutting ceremonies, the shovel digging ceremonies and the first game at Arlington Heights. Bite the bullet Bears. Put up a world class facility like the new one in LA. And then let the city spend those hotel tax funds to restore Soldier Field by dismantling and carting away that ugly eyesore dropped in the middle of a once charming multipurpose stadium.
Comment by Louis G Atsaves Wednesday, Apr 24, 24 @ 10:39 am
And the White Sox. Send them off to Nashville. Never thought an organization could make the McCaskey group look generous by comparison in this region.
Comment by Louis G Atsaves Wednesday, Apr 24, 24 @ 10:41 am
===Put up a world class facility like the new one in LA===
If they were willing to spend that kind of money…
lol
Comment by Rich Miller Wednesday, Apr 24, 24 @ 10:45 am
I, for one, expected some form of this from the start. The whole new stadium at Arlington Heights was a misdirection to make the city scared. Eventually the land will be sold for a nice profit.
Pro sports teams get rich by not spending their own money.
Comment by Bruce( no not him) Wednesday, Apr 24, 24 @ 10:47 am
I don’t think the question for MBJ is one of misplaced priorities - I think the question is did he get played on the public benefit the city is getting vis a vis the private benefit the Bears are getting. He’s surrendering control of one of the most valuable pieces of real estate in the world here.
Comment by Sycophantic Averse Wednesday, Apr 24, 24 @ 10:54 am
Staggering late add to GA “to do” list.
Anyone notice it is an election year?
Guessing the talented lobbying team is scattering across state to gather wish lists (aka do we hear the slots clinking at SPI casino) It seems this is a pipe dream w/o statewide add-on
Hard to imagine this can overcome Friends of the Park handwringin’,Curse of McCaskey hex and Reinsdorf jinx.
But it will provide some late session laughs. Current topics pretty dull.
Comment by Annnonin' Wednesday, Apr 24, 24 @ 11:06 am
And can we also add McCaskey funding rebuild of racetrack at AP (which should happen regardless of the outcome of this week’s plan)
Comment by Annonin' Wednesday, Apr 24, 24 @ 11:10 am
I mentioned this in yesterday’s post. The mayor spent his first 6 months having extensive meetings with the bears to keep them in Chicago.
Why? He genuinely believes this is make or break for his legacy. In his absence from work because of those meetings, the migrant response lacked his presence and that of his senior advisor. The Bears quickly abandoning their arlington heights plans leads me to wonder what commitments the mayor made.
Good move for the bears to play the rookie mayor. Bad move for the city to have a mayor who is doing a 180 on everything they ran on.
Comment by One Time Wednesday, Apr 24, 24 @ 11:13 am
=Arlington Heights location is starting to looking better and better.=
I am not a billionaire, an NFL owner, or a property developer.
However, I don’t see how (outside of paying for it) the better play isn’t owning the whole enchilada in AH. You get the stadium, the development money in building hotels, housing, entertainment and office space on 300+ acres of really prime real estate.
I do think I know THE answer. Owning an NFL stadium and paying for it, isn’t that great of a business proposition. If it was the Bears would want to build their own stadium, no questions asked.
If I were at the press conference today, I do think a good question to Warren and the Bears would be; IF this is such a good deal and stadiums are so valuable, why don’t the Bears just build it and own it.
Comment by Cool Papa Bell Wednesday, Apr 24, 24 @ 11:26 am
===Arlington Heights location is starting to looking better and better===
Yeah? You think they’re any closer to passing that state legislation?
Reside in the real world.
Comment by Rich Miller Wednesday, Apr 24, 24 @ 11:39 am
This may be an unpopular opinion on here, but outside of the most informed politicos/municipal government experts and such, a stadium with an entertainment district that keeps the Bears in Chicago would be received as a popular decisions amongst the populace. At the end of the day, world class cities need new amenities and attractions otherwise they lose that status. Chicago is a great city, but the last time I was in Phoenix, it truly felt like Chicago West, with people moving (and taking their pensions with them). I won’t even get into the new allure of Las Vegas as a conference destination and it’s foolish to think that new stadiums and amenities don’t add to that allure.
Another unpopular opinion is that CPS schools that require a threshold amount of money for renovations shouldn’t be upgraded but rather torn down and replaced along with new boundaries drawn for student distribution. But I’ll save that for another blog post.
Comment by LastModDemStanding Wednesday, Apr 24, 24 @ 11:40 am
A domed stadium along the lakefront would be an amazing venue for hosting the Super Bowl, other football championship games and bowl games, basketball tournaments and large musical events. This is a good idea that needs further exploring and, as Mayor Johnson put it, creativity. This concept, of course, works better if folks feel good about the city and the concern about quality of life crime issues is properly addressed. All this requires a certain level of give and take and certainly having the DNC operate smoothly and without incident this summer would be a great step in the right direction.
Comment by Debby Wednesday, Apr 24, 24 @ 11:41 am
-For years now it’s been noted that there’s a lack of development downtown as indicated by the lack of cranes seen in the skyline—
Only 3 groundbreakings this year and a lot of large scale permitted projects being canceled or for sale. We gotta something otherwise a lot of union construction and tradesman jobs are going to be collecting paychecks and elsewhere.
Comment by LastModDemStanding Wednesday, Apr 24, 24 @ 11:44 am
SDG and the Mayor came to their own, completely independent conclusions based on the principles of socialism and the economic merits of the Bear’s proposal.
Comment by Three Dimensional Checkers Wednesday, Apr 24, 24 @ 12:28 pm
I would really, REALLY want to know the story of what resulted in Stacy Davis Gates ending up in the room. Did the Mayor’s Office say “let’s invite her to show her willingness to support this” or did she invite herself because she sees herself as the power behind the scenes. How many strategy calls a week is the 5th Floor having with CTU leadership?
Comment by NIU Grad Wednesday, Apr 24, 24 @ 12:35 pm
@Bruce( no not him)- I was thinking just the opposite. That it is a ploy to get the schools to grant them free taxation so they can build their complex.
I still say no, but if Chicago wants to do it, more power to them. Lol.
Comment by JS Mill Wednesday, Apr 24, 24 @ 12:40 pm
I don’t get it. How can the mayor says he is a progressive when he is pushing that taxpayers help out a company that is worth 6 Billion dollars. so he wants to help out the rich but not the many other projects that could use the funding. Isn’t this against the progressive goal?
Comment by snowman61 Wednesday, Apr 24, 24 @ 1:05 pm
===Chicago is a great city, but the last time I was in Phoenix, it truly felt like Chicago West, with people moving (and taking their pensions with them). I won’t even get into the new allure of Las Vegas as a conference destination and it’s foolish to think that new stadiums and amenities don’t add to that allure.
Ah, yes. Oases in the desert running quickly out of what makes them oases. The Southwest is about to hit the climate crisis head on at the same time the water supply becomes even more scarce. Chicago is a world class city with a huge lake–it’ll do fine.
Comment by ArchPundit Wednesday, Apr 24, 24 @ 1:33 pm
===Only 3 groundbreakings this year and a lot of large scale permitted projects being canceled or for sale. We gotta something otherwise a lot of union construction and tradesman jobs are going to be collecting paychecks and elsewhere.
Seriously? Does Chicago have one of the few places in the country with a labor surplus? I was unaware.
Comment by ArchPundit Wednesday, Apr 24, 24 @ 1:35 pm
=The whole new stadium at Arlington Heights was a misdirection to make the city scared.=
I wouldn’t give the franchise nearly that much credit. They are after all the same organization that signed Mike Glennon to a $45M contract. Perhaps that was also misdirection.
The Bears simply can’t put together a workable stadium plan. They refuse to pay the necessary property taxes on AH and their plans for “Soldier Field II” are nothing more than a pipe dream.
The lakefront belongs to the people not the McCaskey’s and the NFL.
Comment by Pundent Wednesday, Apr 24, 24 @ 1:39 pm
===Seriously?===
Downtown construction has all but stopped.
Comment by Rich Miller Wednesday, Apr 24, 24 @ 1:58 pm
There isn’t a shot in hell that the State is willing to cough up any money for this. Laughable that Chicago is willing to burn their money yet again for a failed “investment” that will “totally pay itself off this time.”
A stadium should never be built using PUBLIC dollars for a PRIVATE organization. For once in their life, I’d love the billionaires to pay for something themselves rather than socializing their costs off on the people, which is the same thing they fight to keep the people from getting (social services).
Comment by That Guy Wednesday, Apr 24, 24 @ 1:58 pm
“The whole new stadium at Arlington Heights was a misdirection to make the city scared.”
Seriously? You think they spent $200 million of team money - unlike this proposal - on a misdirection play? Cmon.
Comment by New Day Wednesday, Apr 24, 24 @ 2:19 pm
==Downtown construction has all but stopped.
Which is consistent with most cities right now, but the trades in every metro I’m familiar with are working at capacity. Different kinds of work, but they are also facing long term recruitment challenges.
Comment by ArchPundit Wednesday, Apr 24, 24 @ 2:53 pm
It’s also important to keep in mind that while we see a downturn in large projects, that will likely only last while interest rates remain high, there is more pressure on housing development, and we have a huge infrastructure bill just getting implemented. The trades will be fine–if they can find workers.
Comment by ArchPundit Wednesday, Apr 24, 24 @ 3:02 pm