CHICAGO (WGN) — First-time renderings revealed Friday show a potential third site for a new Chicago Bears stadium.
The new concepts, released by developer Farpoint, show a domed stadium with a land bridge over DuSable Lake Shore Drive, leading to Lake Michigan, at the former Michael Reese Hospital property in Bronzeville.
Farpoint founding principal Scott Goodman told the Chicago Sun Times that his decision to release the images publicly is a Hail Mary, though he has not yet met with the team.
“We have proposed an opportunity for the Bears to explore our site, which is viable and where a stadium can fit. And it fits on the South Side of Chicago, bridging the gap to downtown,” Goodman said.
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New renderings of a domed Bears stadium at the Michael Reece Hospital site (Photo courtesy of Steve Patterson) -
New renderings of a domed Bears stadium at the Michael Reece Hospital site (Photo courtesy of Steve Patterson) -
New renderings of a domed Bears stadium at the Michael Reece Hospital site (Photo courtesy of Steve Patterson) -
New renderings of a domed Bears stadium at the Michael Reece Hospital site (Photo courtesy of Steve Patterson)
Despite no comment from the Bears, Illinois State Representative Kam Buckner, who represents Bronzeville, said the possibility of a domed stadium at the old Michael Reese Hospital site is enticing.
“The thought and idea of the Bronzeville Bears is really an exciting one to me,” Buckner said.
Sports business expert Marc Ganis spoke with WGN News about what he called a strategic release of the renderings.
“The most significant part of this announcement really isn’t the renderings, it’s the fact that they haven’t had any discussions with the Bears,” he said. “The audience here may not exactly be Lake Forest but maybe Springfield.”
Buckner said a Bronzeville stadium wouldn’t necessarily mean taxpayers footing the bill, however.
“In Springfield, we are focused on a lot of things right now, and stadium development is not one of them,” he said.
Arlington Heights Mayor: ‘I don’t put a whole lot of stock in it’
In response to the proposed Bronzeville site, Arlington Heights Mayor Tom Hayes told WGN News, “If it didn’t come from the Bears, then I don’t put a whole lot of stock in it.”
Hayes maintained that he is confident that the organization will choose to build on the former Arlington Park site that the Bears purchased in February 2023 for nearly $200 million.
“I’m feeling better than I have in the last four years,” he added. “We’ve been working on this a long time.”
This month, the Village and the Bears indicated moving forward with their own traffic and economic impact studies. The step comes after both sides resolved property tax issues in December, despite Bears president and CEO Kevin Warren’s continued focus on his $3.2 billion plan for a new stadium just south of Soldier Field.
“I’ve said from Day 1 that I think the Arlington Park site is where they’re going to end up,” Hayes said.
Farpoint told WGN News that regardless of whether the Bears choose the site, they plan to make the location a premier, mixed-use development.