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The Chicago Bears stadium is a proposed stadium to be built in Chicagoland area for the Chicago Bears franchise of the National Football League, who currently play home games at Soldier Field.

Background

At the beginning, the Decatur Staleys played at their games at Staley Field which was owned by the team parent company the A. E. Staley Manufacturing Company. ^[1] Although the Staley football team was popular in 1920, it struggled financially, partly due to Staley Field's 1,500 seating capacity. Fans were charged $1 to attend games and company employees received a 50 percent discount, which was not economically feasible for the Staleys. The Staley company sold the team to George Halas, who transferred the team to Chicago in 1921 and move the games to Cubs Park (now Wrigley Field), which was owned by the Chicago Cubs, ^[2] and in 1922, they renamed themselves the Chicago Bears in order to associate themselves with their landlords. ^[3] The Bears moved to their current home - the city owned Soldier Field - in 1971 after the AFL-NFL Merger, the newly merged league mandate instituted after the 1970 season dictated that teams must play in stadiums that could hold a minimum of 50,000 seats. The move was suppose to be temporary - "an interim measure taken of necessity until a new city stadium can be erected" - but in the decades since, the team and the city of Chicago had multiple clashes with the city about the state of the stadium, which caused a desire on the part of the team's ownership to find an alternative stadium owned by the team. ^[4]

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History

Wrigley Field (1921-1970)

After leaving Decatur, Illinois in 1921 the Bears played at Wrigley Field for 50 years, from 1921 to 1970, which once held the record for the most NFL games played in a single stadium, with 365 regular season games, until this record was surpassed in 2003 by Giants Stadium in New Jersey. During this time the team won nearly 70% of its home games during that span. [1]

Initially, the Bears worked with the stands that were there. Eventually, they acquired a large, portable bleacher section that spanned the right and center field areas and covered most of the existing bleacher seating and part of the right field corner seating. This "East Stand" raised Wrigley's football capacity to about 47,000, or a net gain of perhaps 9,000 seats over normal capacity. After the Bears left, this structure would live on for several years as the "North Stand" at Soldier Field, until it was replaced by permanent seating.

The football field ran north-to-south, i.e. from left field to the foul side of first base. The remodeling of the bleachers made for a very tight fit for the gridiron. In fact, the corner of the south end zone was literally in the visiting baseball team's dugout, which was filled with pads for safety, and required a special ground rule that sliced off that corner of the end zone. The end zone was also shorter than the north, as the south end zone was eight yards, compared to the regulation ten yards. ^[5] One corner of the north end line ran just inches short of the left field wall. There is a legend that Bears fullback Bronko Nagurski steamrolled through the line head down, and ran all the way through that end zone, smacking his leather-helmeted head on the bricks. He went back to the bench and told then-coach George Halas, "That last guy gave me quite a lick!" That kind of incident prompted the Bears to hang some padding in front of the wall.

After a half-century, they found themselves compelled to move as the NFL wanted every one of its stadiums to seat at least 50,000 as a result of the then-recent AFL–NFL merger. At the time Wrigley Field had a capacity of 46,000 for football games. ^[4] The last game was on December 13, 1970, with the Bears beating the Packers 35-17.

Dyche Stadium (1970)

With the Bears wanting to stay in Chicago North side, in 1971 Halas signed a five-year deal with Northwestern University to play in Dyche Stadium (that at the time had a capacity of 55,000), but the deal was cancelled two weeks after, as the Big Ten Conference denied the Bears permission to play there. ^[6] As a result of the Big Ten prevention, and subsequent move to the lakefront, ended their five-decade run on the north side.

By the end, the Bears played only one game at the stadium in 1970, a 20-26 win over Philadelphia Eagles, due to renovations to Wrigley Field. ^[7]

Soldier Field (1971-2001, 2003-present)

Without any other options in the city, the Bears signed a temporary lease with the Chicago Park District who owns the stadium, for three years with two one-year options. The lease also stipulate that the Park District should upgrade the aging stadium for the sum of $700,000, including: installing synthetic turf, updating and move closer the seating, and building new dressing rooms. ^[4] In 1975 the Public Building Commission announced they will demolish Soldier Field and will be replaced with a $35 million stadium, [2] but Mayor Richard J. Daley would later said that the $35 million will be spent on updating the existing structure. [3]

In 1977, as a result of the deteriorating state of the stadium, the Chicago Park District notify the Bears they will be able to play there only one more season, as the Park District board chairman estimated the cost for renovation in the ranged of $40 million to $55 million. At the time, costs estimates for a new stadium range from $65 million for an open structure and up to $200 million for a domed facility. ^[8] In 1978, the city declared 10,292 seats at the field’s north end to be no longer safe, bringing the stadium capacity below the NFL’s 50,000 seat requirement. ^[9] Although NFL Commissioner Pete Rozelle said publicly he wouldn't force the rule on the Bears, the city would later approved a $3.5 million renovation plan that would add 2,000 seats, among other improvements. In 1980 the Park District stated they will close Soldier Field if the Bears did not sign a 20-year lease, and later blocked the team from selling tickets for the upcoming season. On On July 17, 1980 the Bears reached a new 20-year lease agreement with the Park District, after agreeing to finance the $2.8 million cost of building 54 skybox suites. ^[10] In 1982 the Park District unveils a plan to build a $20 million dome atop Soldier Field, which never happened. ^[11]

Stadium History

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Memorial Stadium (2002)

In 2002 the Bears selected the University of Illinois Memorial Stadium as the site of home football games during the renovation of Soldier Field (the agreement also included the preseason games of the 2003 season). ^[12] In the past the Bears also held two preseason games in the stadium in 1974 and 1975 (both against the St. Louis Cardinals).

Other proposed stadium sites

Comiskey Park

In 1971 the Chicago White Sox offered the Bears to play in Comiskey Park, which was the home of the old Chicago Cardinals, but Halas declined. ^[13] In 1977, the Bears reveld they had contact with White Sox's owner Bill Veeck about the use of the stadium, as a temporary solution, as a result of the deteriorating state of Soldier Field. In 1980, the Chicago Tribune reveled that the Bears were considering playing their 1980 regular season games at the stadium, if they can't sign a lease extantion with Chicago Park District (Soldier Field owners). In 1998, then-Chicago mayor Richard M. Daley proposed that the Bears share New Comiskey Park with the White Sox.

Notre Dame Stadium

In 1978 the idea of moving Bears games to the Notre Dame Stadium was first proposed by Halas, but he also said: "We don't even know whether a place like Notre Dame would let us in". ^[9] In July 1980 the Bears approached the university officials with a request to play two exhibition games and eight regular season games for the upcoming season, but the team would later signed a new 20-year lease agreement to stay in Soldier Field. ^[10]

[4]

Waukegan

In 1990 Bears President Michael McCaskey said that the Waukegan proposal is still on the table. ^[14]

In 2023 Waukegan reached out to the Bears again and express their interest in wanting to be the home of the team stadium. ^[15]

Roosevelt Road

In 1986 Chicago's Mayor Harold Washington proposed football-only stadium as part of a larger West Side sports complex, that will include the Chicago Bulls and Chicago White Sox. The plan was rejected by the Bears. ^[16]

Elk Grove Village

In 1991 DuPage County officials try for the first time to pursue the Bears to be principal tenants of a vacant site owned by the county Airport Authority. ^[17] In 1995 Bears President Michael McCaskey reveled that the Bears plan is to build a $285 million, 74,000-seat stadium, with $185 million to be financed primarily by public funds, at one of three locations, including the western-most portion of O'Hare International Airport. ^[18] In 1998 the Bears sign a letter of intent that gives them 18 months to decide whether to pursue a new $200 million to $300 million stadium in Elk Grove Village, with state officials saying: "they are not willing to make any significant contributions to build a suburban home for the Bears". ^[19]

McCormick Place

In 1991 Illinois governor James R. Thompson order planning a domed stadium (nicknamed "McDome") as part of a major expansion of McCormick Place. ^[20]

Hoffman Estates

In 1995 the Bears announced they have acquired an option to purchase 200 acres in Hoffman Estates, Illinois, as one of four potential locations for its new $285 million, 74,000-seat stadium. At the time it was believed that the Hoffman Estates location is the favorite, as the Bears wanted to return to Chicago North side. ^[21]

Gary, Indiana

In 1995 a business group called the "Northwest Indiana/Chicagoland Entertainment Inc." tried to lure the Bears with a plan for $205 million, 75,000-seat open air stadium in Gary, Indiana, as part of $482 million plan redevelopment project west of the Gary Regional Airport called "Planet Park". However, the plan was rejected by the Lake County Council. ^[22]

Sites considered

Arlington Heights

A move to the village of Arlington Heights, Illinois was first proposed in 1975, as the Madison Square Garden Corp. announced they'll determine the feasibility of building a sports stadium on 20 acres of undeveloped land next to the Arlington International Racecourse. The Bears had plans to build a publicly fund 80,000-seat stadium and sign a 35-year lease to use it, but the plan fell through when the city voters refused to approve funding, after the plan to move the the Chicago White Sox to the village as well fell through. ^[18] In 1990 Bears President Michael McCaskey said they haven't ruled out the Arlington Heights project. ^[14]

In September of 2021 the Bears first put a purchase agreement on the 326-acre plot of land in the village of Arlington Heights, Illinois and the Arlington Park properties. 1 In September 2022 the Bears hosted an information meeting to discuss the potential purchase and possible development of Arlington Park at John Hersey High School. 1 The sale was finalized on February 15, 2023 for $197.2 million, 1 1 1 with plans on building a new $5 billion domed stadium on the land. 1 Demolition of former Arlington Park began in May, 2023, 1 but after disagreement over the property tax assessment, 1 prompted the Bears to explore alternative sites for its planned stadium. 1 1 In March, 2024 the village of Arlington Heights offered a tax reduction in attempt to lure the team to build new stadium in village. [5]

Lakefront stadium

As of 2024, the Bears have shifted their focus to the parking area south of Soldier Field on Museum Campus. The plan is to build a new domed stadium and to invest more than $2B in private money in a publicly owned stadium and park space. The plan also indicated that much of Soldier Field would be torn down to create the additional " green space".

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References