Bears unveil their lakefront stadium plans as Gov. J.B. Pritzker says 'I remain skeptical'

CHICAGO — The Chicago Bears — one of the National Football League’s charter franchises — on Wednesday unveiled plans for a new stadium project on the lakefront partly funded by the public that would give the team a facility in line with many of the NFL’s ultra-modern, fan-friendly structures.

Joined by Mayor Brandon Johnson and other local political leaders, team officials held a noontime news conference at their current home — 100-year-old Soldier Field — where they detailed what the multipurpose, fix-roofed, 77,000-capacity stadium and surrounding area would look like and sketched out how the plan would be funded.

Absent from the event was Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker, who earlier in the day repeated his skepticism of a plan that relies on public funding.

But Bears team President and CEO Kevin Warren called it “a special day.”

Johnson said the project would “result in no new taxes on the residents of Chicago.” He and Warren rattled off the community benefits and big-name events the project would bring, like Super Bowls, Final Fours and concerts.

The stadium would be owned by the Chicago Park District, the team said.

Karen Murphy, the team’s executive vice president of stadium development and chief operating officer, said the project would cost more than $4.6 billion. The stadium would cost $3.225 billion with up to $1.4 billion for infrastructure.

The Bears would commit more than $2 billion to what she called one of the biggest private investments into a public facility in Illinois history. All of the team’s investment would pay for 72% of the stadium itself, with a Chicago hotel tax helping fund the rest plus all the infrastructure costs.

The project would require an increase in bonding by the Illinois State Facilities Bonding Authority.

The proposal includes 14 acres of athletic fields and recreational park space, with restrooms for the public. The area could be used for local youth sports, farmers markets, classes and graduations, Warren said.

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