Chicago’s Landmark Development issued a new pitch for $2.2 billion-ish in renovations to Soldier Field, including adding a roof, to keep the Chicago Bears within city limits, featuring a video showing the proposed transformation (and also, for some reason, Martin Luther King Jr.) and absolutely zero suggestions for who would be putting up the $2.2 billion. Before we dismiss it out of hand, though — which we will do in a minute — let’s enjoy the latest in batshit renderings that accompanied the plan:
Still not sure exactly why it’s all the rage to show fans at football games doing absolutely anything but watching football, but here we are. This particular image appears to show a multi-level party deck perched high atop the existing stadium’s wall of luxury boxes, with only a few puny railings to keep drunk fans from plummeting to their — wait, hold on, is that a baby? Is that woman in the striped dress holding an infant perilously close to a 150-foot plunge? Is it possible to call Children and Family Services on a piece of clip art?
There’s a ton more terrifying precipices in the above-linked video, many populated by Sim-like animated entourage people, many of them wearing impressively generic football jerseys. But it’s this one that especially caught my eye:
Sure, you may want to focus on the stylishly dressed young people who are too busy networking to even face in the direction of the game, or the woman who was so excited for her night of standing at a railing high above a Bears game that she put her jersey on inside-out. But me, I’m appreciating her friend who bought a custom generic-beige jersey, not with the name of any Bears player, not with their own name, but bearing the single word “FAN.” That is a truly forward-thinking sports consumer, ready to attend games of whatever team in whatever sport happens to land in their city, or another city, if their job requires them to move. We can only hope that they’re equally up on their next-generation chants.
There are a couple of dubious statements in the Trib article:
“As to who would foot the bill, Dunn pointed to the Bears as the most likely candidates. ‘Stadiums today are predominantly funded by teams,’ he said.”
“The biggest obstacle, he said, is that the Bears would still neither own nor control Soldier Field, which is antithetical to modern sports stadium economics.”
I thought it was a rule that sports teams never want to own the stadium – they just want to live in it, rent-free (or almost). How can you threaten to leave if you own the arena?
In a previous comment, I mentioned the LIV nightclub at the dolphins stadium. I incorrectly thought they took it out. They did not! https://www.miamidolphins.com/tickets/liv
“ Fans in the Club LIV seats for Dolphins Games have exclusive access to the trendy Club LIV lounge – a multi-level area with a nightclub atmosphere. The climate-controlled lounge features multiple dance floors, televisions, personal cabanas, and a full bar.”
So you can have a nightclub experience and not pay attention to the game (which is probably okay because the football team is hard to watch).
That’s very progressive and undoubtedly a model that the other owners want to get in on.
BTW, I recall that they used to hire “pretty people” to work at the club and pretend to be fans, in order to get the atmosphere just right.
There is also a child in pajamas (old enough to be embarrassed by it) at Hive bar. A Bear Hive?
This proposal is from the developer of the proposed $20 billion One Central megaproject next door. The developer wants $6.5 billion in taxpayer subsidies for the transportation center shown in the video.
https://chicago.suntimes.com/2021/10/20/22733439/one-central-metra-public-subsidy-chicago-soldier-field-south-shore-amtrak-editorial
https://www.chicago.gov/city/en/depts/dcd/supp_info/one-central.html
The transport center does not bother me as anything that improves public transport is something (and TOD) I support.
The issue is who pays for this stadium. The McCaskey family is not independently wealthy. They are rich because Virginia McCaskey (happy 100th birthday!) inherited the team from her dad, George Halas, who bought the team from his food company employer in 1921.
The issue with these stadiums is always the same — if they were the economic boon the teams claim they are, the teams would build and own them themselves.
As a Chicago resident, no matter where the Bears end up, I am getting screwed by this deal.
Right on Anthony. When I heard about Soldier Field getting a makeover
I found out that the Big 10 Commish got the oversight job in Chicago.
I hope it works out for the better. Soldier Field needs a roof in this
modern time but the details need to be ironed out so the taxpayers
benefit from the upgrage to the public venue. The stadium belongs
to the taxpayers and there needs to be a revenue and expense
sharing between the taxpayers and leasees.
Is this like playing in Wrigley Field one working end zone (no goal posts in first picture.)
How far from the action are seats in the top of the fourth deck in the end zone. Not meant to be a trick question even though talking about Bears games.
If you sold clothing merchandise for FoS, the FAN jersey would be one I’d love to buy.
They already ruined Soldier Field in the first renovation. This is an abomination.
The one benefit is when they put a spaceship in a spaceship they cannot ruin it any more.
How big are those sheets of glass on the dome? Is that even structurally possible? Has Dr. Montgomery Scott invented transparent aluminum yet?
Ha! I’m assuming that’s ethylene tetrafluoroethylene, like what was used in the Rams stadium’s roof. Which isn’t actually transparent, more translucent, but artistic license, I guess.
When your child is causing a scene while you’re at a bar trying to get hammered, the clear solution is ripping off at least one arm.
End-zone seats are the least desirable, which is why the likes of Arrowhead have lower decks in end zone, higher along sidelines. This purported redesign adds thousands of end-zone seats, including a deck with mysterious, narrow concrete culverts jutting into seating bowl.
There are also … no video boards! Only the narrow ribbon board above the field. That is certainly very retro.