When information broke of the Bears contemplating a brand new stadium on the land at present housing the south parking deck, it gave many Chicagoans hope that the staff would stay nestled on the lakefront and that we’d preserve our distinction of being the most important metropolis within the nation the place each skilled sports activities staff performs its house video games inside the metropolis limits.
The chance of the Bears constructing a stadium and remaining in Chicago alerts {that a} reset between the Bears group, by the use of new President Kevin Warren, and Mayor Brandon Johnson isn’t empty rhetoric, however it’s the true want of each events, which is sweet for Chicago.
In Warren, the Bears have a confirmed transformational chief. He is the architect of one of the monumental skilled stadium offers in U.S. historical past, which allowed the state of Minnesota to repay bonds 23 years earlier than the ultimate cost was due. Johnson has been clear-eyed and optimistic concerning the Bears’ scenario, which has allowed the conversations to start anew.
People opine that Soldier Field is the worst stadium within the NFL for general fan expertise, and these arguments are legitimate, primarily as a result of Soldier Field was by no means supposed to be a soccer stadium. The Bears ended up there as a result of they’d nowhere else to go.
Many elements make Soldier Field lower than enticing for the trendy period. In addition to the aforementioned impediments, the Bears can’t revenue off of parking and different belongings, and they’re one among solely two NFL groups that can’t generate income from the naming rights of the stadium. Building a brand new Chicago stadium presents a possibility for the Bears to craft a wiser settlement that doesn’t hinder them, one which makes use of precision in crafting the stadium utilization deal. There is not any barrier to creativity for this selection.
NFL stadium utilization offers run the gamut. In Chicago, the Bears pay hire of about $6 million a 12 months. In New Orleans, the Saints receives a commission round that very same quantity by the state of Louisiana, and in Baltimore, the Ravens don’t pay hire, however they do pay for utilities and salaries for the workers of the Maryland Stadium Authority. It isn’t a lot that the Bears must personal their stadium, however {that a} steadiness must be struck that’s favorable to Chicago and the group. We must be trying to tailor-make a deal that works particularly for our realities in Chicago.
Over the years, we’ve heard options that the Bears ought to transfer to varied locations, together with Evanston, Arlington Heights and Gary. As an legal professional who has labored on stadium offers inside and outdoors Chicago, an avid sports activities fan and the elected consultant of Soldier Field and the encircling group, I’ve been clear about my stance on public subsidies for personal growth, however I’ve additionally been clear that I really consider that the Chicago Bears ought to play soccer in Chicago.
The alternative to be daring and sensible exists in full kind. We can create a public-private partnership on the lakefront that works. We will be cutting-edge relating to the carbon footprint of a brand new stadium, by constructing a low-carbon, eco-designed stadium. We even have an opportunity to make use of this as a possibility to lastly join our lakefront and our individuals via public transit options.
We must be asking if a brand new stadium might help us chip away at our legacy pension debt points and do the work to reverse-engineer that outcome by determining the correct monetary combine to achieve that outcome.
An advantageous resolution might lie simply south of the parking deck on the Lakeside Center. In 2019, I launched a invoice to rebuild its aboveground parts, whereas returning further parkland to the individuals and preserving the underground parts of the constructing, such because the Arie Crown Theater. Could a conference heart related to an NFL stadium work? It appears to be doing so in Indianapolis, the place town’s conference heart and the Lucas Oil Stadium are related. The stadium has hosted Super Bowls, Final Fours, College Football Playoffs and lots of Big Ten Championships.
Many, if not all, of those potentialities would require some consideration from the legislature in Springfield, and I occur to know some of us down there who can be keen to assist.
This leaves the query: What to do with Soldier Field? Let’s be sincere. We are about six months away from having one other public debate in Chicago concerning the lack of public areas for younger individuals — the Chicago Park District’s first acknowledged core worth is “Children first.” Soldier Field is the largest Park District facility and concurrently one of many least used; it could be counter to these core values to tear it down as a substitute of discovering methods to program it for Chicago’s younger individuals.
Finally, with a Chicago-friendly White House, we must be lobbying President Joe Biden’s administration to revive Soldier Field’s historic landmark standing so we are able to regain entry to the tens of millions of federal {dollars} for the constructing that we’ve got missed out on since we misplaced that designation in 2006. Whether or not you’re a fan of the previous columns or the spaceship that landed in them, there isn’t a query of the historic significance of a website that has hosted a lot of America’s historical past.
This is a once-in-a-generation alternative for the private and non-private sectors to work collectively, for Springfield and City Hall to work collectively and for the NFL to show that it’s as adept at making deposits in its most vital cities because it has been in making withdrawals.
I consider that we are able to determine it out, and we don’t have to attend for a Super Bowl win to do it.
State Rep. Kam Buckner, a Chicago Democrat, represents the twenty sixth District.
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Source: www.bostonherald.com