NEWSLETTER
Just because the Chicago Bears announced their proposal for plans to build a new stadium along the lakefront doesn’t mean it is going to happen.
And if it does happen, it won’t be easy.
But if you’re a Bears fan, then you are already accustomed to nothing coming easy for this franchise. Plus, if you’re a Bears fan who lives within city limits, then you really know that feeling twice over.
With that in mind, I feel as if this story by Fran Spielman, a long-time city reporter for the Chicago Sun-Times, is worth sharing:
“We are prepared to fight for the lakefront,” says Gin Kilgore, who serves as the acting executive director of Friends of the Parks. “We are prepared to stand on behalf of the doctrines, the principles that say our lakefront should be forever open, clear and free for public use.”
Friends of the Parks, a notable and well-known non-profit advocacy group, says it is “prepared to fight for the lakefront” as the Bears try to build a new dome stadium downtown along the lake. Being “prepared to fight for the lakefront” is a vague-ish statement. But it isn’t one that should be taken lightly. And it is one that doesn’t include specifics or even a potential legal challenge to the Bears’ plans.
The statement from FOTP is noteworthy because you might recall the George Lucas-backed museum that was given city approval, but ultimately never came to fruition because of the group’s efforts. If not, I think this story at NBC Chicago from 2016 does a good job of providing some background on what happened with that project. So long as the Bears plan on creating something downtown, Friends of the Parks figure to be right in the thick of things. So you might as well get used to the group’s presence.
What’s next for the Chicago Bears stadium plan?
As of now, the Bears stadium plan remains the same as when we last checked in on things. The project concept and stadium renderings look cool, but valid questions regarding funding and feasibility remain. Last week, Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker’s camp called the proposal a “non-starter” — in part, because there isn’t much of a public appetite for tax dollars to fund stadium projects for billionaire owners of sports teams. On a related note, FOTP says the Bears’ pitch is “not a fully-fleshed-out proposal.” Again … the push-back is going to be real.
For what it’s worth, Friends of the Parks said this in March via WTTW’s Patty Wetli:
“No one wants to see the Chicago Bears leave the city, but we are being asked to respond as if there are no other alternative sites available or even in the vicinity of the existing stadium. We urge (the Bears) to toss balls around with stakeholders to find a way to stay home in a location that preserves our open, clear and free lakefront and is a boon for neighborhood development.”
Hey now, that is not a “no” from FOTP. So, if you’re the Bears and sincerely want to build downtown, you can take that statement as a starting point for good-faith negotiations. And if you’re the Bears and don’t want to go down that road, then there is always Arlington Heights. After all, Bears President Kevin Warren has not fully shut the door on that front.
Every time the Arlington Park property has come up in conversation, Warren speaks of it in a complimentary fashion. He certainly hasn’t done anything to burn that bridge, which is simply a smart business practice. And it makes me think that the Bears circling back to Arlington Heights is more realistic than some might believe based on the most recent developments with the team and its proposal to build in downtown Chicago.
In the end, this story still has a long way to go before it reaches its conclusion. However, my feelings on the matter remain the same.
I still believe Kevin Warren is sincere in wanting a downtown stadium along the lake. Plus, I think there is a middle ground to be met from the negotiating sides of the city, state, and team. However, I realize there will be challenges and hurdles to clear. And until the Bears can prove that tax dollars going to fund this project will benefit the public as much as promised (let’s face it, every other such stadium project falls well short of fulfilling that promise), then there will be push-back like what the team is facing from FOTP.
