Latest news with #SoldierField
Forbes
a day ago
- Business
- Forbes
Bears' Push For Stadium Funding On Hold Until November
Audience members listen as representatives from the Chicago Bears present their concept for building ... More a stadium and entertainment district on the site of Arlington International Racecourse during an informational public meeting at Hersey High School in Arlington Heights, Illinois, on Sept. 8, 2022. (Chris Sweda/Chicago Tribune/Tribune News Service via Getty Images) For the second session in a row, the Illinois legislature adjourned without bringing the Bears' request for stadium funding to the floor for consideration. After spending some of 2023 and most of '24 seeking help in constructing a state-of-the-art facility on the banks of Lake Michigan, adjacent to Soldier Field, the Bears shifted their focus to land they own in Arlington Heights, in Chicago's northwest suburbs. The 326-acre site had been home to the Arlington (Park) Racecourse, which for years hosted the Arlington Million race. It appears in many ways an ideal location for a retractable roof stadium capable of hosting Super Bowls and non-football events like the Final Four. But the team's first choice was to stay in the city, with mayor Brandon Johnson and other Chicago politicians trying to put together public financing to help the team on the project. Continuing opposition led to a recent pivot to Arlington Heights in the winter. Team president Kevin Warren confirmed that to reporters during the NFL meetings in May. The franchise, which recently was formally transferred from the late Virginia McCaskey to son George McCaskey and her other heirs, has said it will build the $2 billion stadium with its money and a grant from the NFL but is seeking about $2.4 billion in public funding for both new debt and upgrades to infrastructure (mainly roads and the nearby Metra train station, a vital link to bring fans from downtown). Warren has said he believes the issue can be addressed in time for construction to begin before the end of 2025. But the public shift in preference from a downtown stadium to one in the suburbs apparently happened too late for the measure to even be formally debated by the legislature. 'I don't know who works with the Bears on their timing, but I would say they've mastered the art of bad timing,' state Sen. Robert Peters told the Chicago Tribune in May. 'I wish they could master the art of having a good team instead of doing this.' The spring session ended on Sunday, after approving a $55.2 billion budget submitted by Gov. JB Pritzker. State legislators will return to Springfield, Ill., in the fall. 'We were super close and just ran out of time,' Rep. Mary Beth Canty, who represents Arlington Heights, told the Tribune. 'We're going to keep working all through the summer.' Pritzker has said his preference is for the team to remain downtown but has publicly remained opposed to state funding. The size of the state's budget has grown by about 38 percent since he took office without any new construction on sports facilities. Chicago White Sox owner Jerry Reinsdorf is also seeking funding to build a new stadium. His effort to move the team to a location in the South Loop appears stalled. One new element of the Bears' situation is how the Chicago faction in the legislature is openly working against the team's move to the suburbs. 'The Bears have made it clear — they no longer want to be in Chicago,' Rep. Kam Buckner told the Tribune. 'That's their decision. But if they want to leave and use state dollars or ask for special tax protections to do it, they'll have to come through Springfield. And in Springfield, that means facing the Chicago delegation directly.' While no motions specifically addressing stadium funding were filed in the spring session, others involving taxing districts on so-called mega-projects, were introduced but did not come to a vote. The Bears successfully negotiated tax rates with village officials in Arlington Heights but are seeking assurances those rates won't be heavily adjusted in future years. The Bears have played in Chicago since moving from Decatur, Ill., in the early 1920s. The team has never owned its stadium, playing mostly at Wrigley Field and Soldier Field. The lease on Soldier Field runs through 2033 but includes an agreement for the team to pay a penalty if it leaves earlier, with that fee decreasing annually until expiration. The Bears agreed to purchase the Arlington Park horse track site from the Churchill Downs group in 2022 and closed on the $197.2-million deal in February, 2023. But the focused shifted back to downtown after Warren was hired away from his position as Big Ten commissioner later in '23. He orchestrated the Minnesota Vikings' downtown stadium project while working as their chief administrative (and later operating) officer in 2005-19. The Bears' proposed downtown stadium came with an estimated cost of $3.2 billion when it was announced in April, 2024. The Bears offered to pay $2 billion, including an NFL grant, leaving public funding responsible for $1.2 million in construction costs in addition to infrastructure improvements. Soldier Field was remodeled through public financing in 2002. The Illinois Sports Facility Authority still owes almost $600 million in principal and interest for that project. The Illinois General Assembly's fall session typically occurs in November, with its primary charge being the consideration of the governor's vetoes of bills from the regular session. The Bears may seek to add a special session to consider stadium funding rather than waiting until the 2026 regular session convenes in January. Bears' lobbyists, including a former Pritzker aide, have been quietly meeting with Prizker's staff and an outside advisor in recent months. The state hired Steve Argeris, a New York- and Washington, D.C.-based lawyer, as part of its due diligence on the stadium effort, according to the Chicago Tribune. Argeris previously worked for the owners of the NFL's Carolina Panthers. His participation is a sign the state is gathering information and may be moving closer to formally considering funding measures.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Chicago Bears' stadium efforts run out of time in Springfield but suburban lawmaker says deal was close and talks will continue
SPRINGFIELD — While the Illinois General Assembly didn't end up passing legislation this session that helped or hurt the Chicago Bears' stadium efforts, one suburban lawmaker said the legislature got close to a deal on property tax legislation — a measure widely seen as a way to ease a team move to Arlington Heights. 'We were super close and just ran out of time,' state Rep. Mary Beth Canty, a Democrat who represents the northwest suburb and surrounding areas, said Sunday. The team in mid-May announced it was shifting its focus away from building a new lakefront stadium in Chicago to Arlington Heights, where it purchased the former Arlington International Racecourse property two years ago. Though the spring legislative session ended as the calendar turned to June on Saturday night, legislators will likely get another chance to pass legislation in the fall. Still, state Rep. Kam Buckner pushed back on the idea that any agreement was close, as no deal was ever actually introduced in the legislature. 'The Bears have made it clear — they no longer want to be in Chicago. That's their decision,' Buckner, a Chicago Democrat whose district includes Soldier Field, said in a text message Sunday. 'But if they want to leave and use state dollars or ask for special tax protections to do it, they'll have to come through Springfield. And in Springfield, that means facing the Chicago delegation directly.' Lawmakers this session introduced multiple bills proposing changes to state laws that would better enable so-called megaprojects, like a new Bears stadium, to be built. But compromise language that received some support was never introduced, Canty acknowledged. The potential changes would give local control to taxing districts statewide, and not simply be a boost to the Bears' prospects of moving to a specific suburb, she said. 'We're going to keep working all through the summer. I don't like to jinx anything and I also don't like to predict what — where everybody will be' by the fall veto session, Canty said, referring to the next time lawmakers are expected to consider bills. A Bears spokesperson on Sunday reiterated the team's statement that it has made progress with the leaders in Arlington Heights. The dream of a new domed stadium in Chicago has faced enormous headwinds in Springfield since the Bears unveiled a proposal last year asking the state to take on $900 million in new debt and spend $1.5 billion on infrastructure improvements. The franchise likely has a smoother path to move to Arlington Heights, but one of the holdups there was a dispute with the village and local school districts over property taxes. Language discussed behind closed doors in the waning days of session would have allowed 'a weighted vote' of all local taxing bodies to set a property tax payment amount for development projects, while also implementing guardrails from the state on issues like the length of time the agreements could last, Canty said. Gov. JB Pritzker has made clear that while he personally would like to see the Bears stay in Chicago, he is skeptical of providing taxpayer funds to help a private business build a new stadium. Buckner said members of the Chicago delegation in both the House and Senate were 'all very vigilant in the last days of session, expecting the Bears to try to sneak language through the legislature.' 'I don't care how many other lawmakers they talk to — there will be no chicanery, no shortcuts, and no sidestepping the people of Chicago,' he wrote. Asked on Sunday about the prospects for legislation benefiting the Bears, Pritzker said he generally supported options like STAR bonds, a mechanism for local governments to finance big projects, though he emphasized that idea was not specific to the Bears. The discussion on STAR bonds was separate from the megaprojects proposal discussed in the final days of session, Canty said. Tribune reporter Jeremy Gorner contributed.
Associated Press
16-05-2025
- Business
- Associated Press
Bears shift focus for new enclosed stadium back to the suburbs from the Chicago lakefront
CHICAGO (AP) — The Chicago Bears seem to have shifted their attention for a new enclosed stadium back to the suburbs from the city's lakefront, citing 'significant progress' with local leaders to build on a tract of land they own in Arlington Heights. 'Over the last few months, we have made significant progress with the leaders in Arlington Heights, and look forward to continuing to work with state and local leaders on making a transformative economic development project for the region a reality,' the team said in a statement on Friday. Bears President Kevin Warren said six weeks ago at the NFL meetings that the team was turning at least some of its focus from the Chicago lakefront to the suburbs. The latest statement seemed to take it a step farther. Though the Bears finalized the purchase of a 326-acre property in Arlington Heights in February 2023, their main focus the past year had been on building an enclosed stadium next to their longtime home at Soldier Field. Their plan to transform Chicago's Museum Campus got a full endorsement from Mayor Brandon Johnson but a tepid reception from Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker and state legislators when it was announced in April 2024. In September 2022, the Bears unveiled a nearly $5 billion plan for Arlington Heights that also called for restaurants, retail and more, when they were finalizing the purchase of that site 30 miles from Soldier Field. Their focus shifted toward the Chicago lakefront after Warren was hired as president two years ago to replace the retiring Ted Phillips. 'Arlington Heights, I keep going back to it, it's an absolutely fantastic piece of land,' Warren said at the league meetings. 'To be able to have 326 acres that close to a wonderful city is difficult to do. I don't know if it exists anywhere in the country.' There have also been talks with developers of a tract of land on the South Side about building a stadium and mixed-use development on the site of the old Michael Reese Hospital. But the team has rejected the 48.6-acre site in the past, saying it was too narrow and that commuter train tracks presented engineering challenges. Since moving to Chicago in 1921, the Bears have never owned their stadium, whether playing at Wrigley Field from 1921 to 1970 or Soldier Field since then. The team hopes to start construction this year. ___ AP NFL:
The Independent
16-05-2025
- Climate
- The Independent
Dozen tornadoes reported across multiple states with millions of people warned of more severe weather to come
A dozen suspected tornadoes tore across at least three states on Thursday, with forecasters warning of more to come on Friday. Severe weather hit Minnesota, Wisconsin, Illinois and Michigan, with 80mph winds and widespread power cuts. Millions of people are now under thunderstorm watches heading into the weekend. Weather officials warned of severe thunderstorms and strong tornadoes that include 'intense supercells associated with tornadoes, large hail and wind damage' Friday, with gusts exceeding 75 mph, according to the National Weather Service. More than 270,000 residents were left without power in Michigan as a result of the storms Thursday night, with Indiana, Illinois, Wisconsin, and Minnesota, reporting similar issues, according to tracking site Trees and power lines were ripped up, and Beyoncé concert-goers at the open-air Soldier Field, in Chicago, were drenched in the rain, prompting fans to seek cover, officials said. The NOAA had warned of possible 80 mph winds in the Chicago suburb of Tinley Park, and social media users posted videos of the downpour online. No deaths have been reported following the storms as yet. But more bad weather is on the way. A severe thunderstorm watch was issued for north-central and northeast Arkansas, southern Illinois, southwest Indiana, western Kentucky, southeastern Missouri, and northwest Tennessee, effective Friday. Officials said there was also an 'enhanced risk of severe thunderstorms' across central and eastern Kansas and far northern Oklahoma. 'Scattered severe thunderstorms are expected to develop and move rapidly northeast across the watch area early this morning. Large hail and damaging thunderstorm gusts will be the primary severe weather hazard, although a tornado or two will also be possible,' the NOAA said. So far, there have been more than 750 preliminary tornado reports in 2025, which is more reports by mid-May than any other year since 2011. 'It has been an exceptionally dangerous start to the spring severe weather season in the U.S.,' AccuWeather chief on-air meteorologist Bernie Rayno said in a statement. 'We've seen a steep increase in the number of tornado reports during March and early April. Unfortunately, we expect these numbers to continue climbing over the next few days.' Severe weather in 2024 resulted in the second-highest number of tornadoes since record-keeping began in 1950, according to the National Weather Service. Despite the near-historic year, the 54 tornado-related deaths were well below the 20-year average. More than half of those occurred in mobile and manufactured homes. This year, deadly tornadoes have torn across much of the eastern U.S., with additional reports in the Los Angeles area in March. Mississippians struck by the storms were forced to hide inside their cars as tornadoes annihilated their homes. A month later, tornadoes killed people in the South and Midwest, launching debris into the air. Tornadoes can occur at any time, but typically peak from March through June.
CBS News
15-05-2025
- Climate
- CBS News
Severe weather a concern for Beyoncé concert at Chicago's Soldier Field Thursday night
Beyoncé was set to take the stage at Soldier Field Thursday night for the first night of her Cowboy Carter tour in Chicago, but as the BeyHive prepares to swarm, so does the threat of severe weather. Tickets have been dropping in price. On StubHub earlier Thursday, tickets were as low as $98, compared to about $140 on Wednesday. Meanwhile, those pouring into Soldier Field have also poured a lot into preparing for the show, in terms of outfits and looks. When CBS News Chicago asked about whether those people were bringing ponchos — as umbrellas are not allowed inside — they said no. The show must go on, and they came as they were. When Beyoncé brought her Renaissance Tour to Chicago in 2023, heavy rain forced Soldier Field to pause admissions and hold people in place. Beyoncé ended up starting late. But on Thursday, vendors were selling merchandise as if rain and storms were not a worry. They said their merch trailers have hard tops, and their windows also shut if they have to close up shop for rain or storms. The organizers at Soldier Field would not outline their exact plans should severe weather hit, but they did say they are focused on safety: "Our primary objective is to keep all our guests safe and secure. We have vast experience in handling severe weather on major event days. Our severe weather plans are ready to implement if the need should arise." Gates for the Beyoncé show open at 5 p.m., and the show starts at 7 p.m. — with more shows scheduled for Saturday and Sunday. At least some people attending the concert said they plan on attending a second show — hoping if they see rain Thursday, there will be better weather this weekend.
