untung99.biz: Will The Chicago Bears Stay in Chicago What We Know About Soldier Fields Proposed Renovations NBC Chicago

As the Chicago Bears move forward with their pursuit of a new, larger stadium in city’s northwest suburbs, Mayor Lori Lightfoot on Monday is hoping to make a pitch to convince the team to stay at Soldier Field.

Soldier Field, part of Chicago’s 57-acre iconic Museum Campus that’s also home to the Shedd Aquarium and the Field Museum, is one of the smallest National Football League stadiums in the country.

And while the city has said that it intends to fight to keep the Bears at Soldier Field — going so far as to propose an ambitious new plan for redeveloping the lakefront property that currently houses the team — the Bears continue to moved forward in purchasing the site of the former Arlington Rack Track, telling the Daily Herald earlier this month that that “the only potential project the Chicago Bears are exploring for a new stadium development is Arlington Park.”

Lightfoot is expected to provide more information during a press conference at 2 p.m. Monday. Here’s what we know now about the current proposed renovations for Chicago’s Museum Campus and Soldier Field, as well as the Bears’ current steps forward towards a new stadium in Arlington Heights.

Proposed Changes to the Museum Campus and Soldier Field

Earlier this summer, the mayor’s officer unveiled more than 35 recommendations in a 51-page report to enhance Chicago’s Museum Campus, including a pedestrian bridge to Northerly Island, improvement public transportation access, a new hotel and more.

The proposal also includes the idea of building a dome over Soldier Field so it could be used year-round, along with removing Burnham Harbor and replacing it with parking “floating pavilions.”

Giving the Bears the opportunity to possibly sell naming rights to the stadium was also floated.

A Timeline of The Chicago Bears’ Pursuit of a New Arlington Heights Stadium

Feb. 23, 2021: Owners of Arlington International Racecourse Announce Intent to Sell Property

Churchill Downs Inc. announced that they intended to sell the 326-acre property that housed the racetrack in early 2021, paving the way for bids to potentially redevelop the site.

The track, which opened in 1927, had housed horse racing for nearly a century, but is now just the latest site to shut down, joining the former Balmoral Park race track.

June 17, 2021: Bears Submit Bid to Purchase Arlington International Racecourse

As Arlington Heights officials and Churchill Downs began to solicit bids for the property, the Bears officially jumped into the fray, submitting a bid to purchase the site for the purposes of potentially building a new suburban stadium.

“It’s our obligation to explore every possible option to ensure we’re doing what’s best for our organization and its future,” CEO Ted Phillips said in a statement. “If selected, this step allows us to further evaluate the property and its potential.”

>> THE BEARS\u2019 HIGH-PROFILE MOVE TO BUY ARLINGTON PARK IN THE SUBURBS HAS CHICAGO MAYOR LIGHTFOOT ON THE HOT SEAT. LIGHTFOOT ON THE HOT SEAT. NOW MANY QUESTION ISF THEY COULD BE KEPT DOWNTOWN. BE KEPT DOWNTOWN. MARY ANN AHERN JOINS US WITH MORE. >> WITH SO MANY CHALLENGES FROM THE PANDEMIC TO VIOLENCE, THROW IN ONE MORE FOR THE MAYOR. IN ONE MORE FOR THE MAYOR. IF THE BEARS LEAVE, IT WILL BE ON HER WATCH. SOME ALREADY SAY GOOD RIDDANCE TO THE BEARS. BUT OTHERS ARE CONCERNED ABOUT THE ECONOMIC IMPACT. GOVERNOR PRITZKER IS PUNTING WHEN IT COMES TO WHAT ROLE HE WHEN IT COMES TO WHAT ROLE HE MIGHT PLAY IN KEEPING THE CHICAGO BEARS IN CHICAGO. >> I THINK THIS IS A PRIVATE BUSINESS, THE CHICAGO BEARS. BUSINESS, THE CHICAGO BEARS. AS I HAVE SAID BEFORE. AND I THINK THE BEARS AND THE CITY OF CHICAGO NEED TO WORK OUT THEIR DIFFERENCES. >> MAYOR LIGHTFOOT AND HER TEAM STILL NEGOTIATING WITH THE BEARS. >> IF SHE\u2019S SUCCESSFUL, THE BEARS WILL STAY IN CHICAGO. BEARS WILL STAY IN CHICAGO. IF SHE\u2019S NOT, I SEE A MOVE TO THE SUBURBS IN THEIR FUTURE. >> WHEN YOU LOSE AN ICONIC FRANCHISE, BUSINESS, OR FRANCHISE, BUSINESS, OR WHATEVER, IT\u2019S GOING TO BE REFLECTIVE POTENTIALLY OF WHAT YOU\u2019VE DONE. YOU\u2019VE DONE. >> Reporter: STATE REPRESENTATIVE JONATHAN CARROLL FROM ARLINGTON HEIGHTS WONDERS IF THE CITY CAN COMPETE. >> I THINK THEY WANT TO DO WHAT SOME OF THE OTHER CITIES HAVE DONE LIKE INDIANAPOLIS OR NEW ENGLAND WHERE THEY HAVE AN ENTERTAINMENT COMPLEX SURROUNDING THE STADIUM, SURROUNDING THE STADIUM, RESTAURANTS, BARS, SHOPPING. >> Reporter: SHOULD THE ORIGINAL McCORMICK PLACE COME DOWN TO MAKE ROOM FOR A NEW STADIUM? MAKE ROOM FOR A NEW STADIUM? >> IT IS NO LONGER STATE OF THE ART. IT\u2019S ARCHAIC, AND IT\u2019S OUT OF DATE, AND IT\u2019S NOT SOMETHING THAT MODERN TRADE SHOWS WANT TO UTILIZE. >> Reporter: WHEN IT COMES TO STATE FUNDING FOR THE BEARS, STATE FUNDING FOR THE BEARS, PRITZKER DID NOT ABSOLUTELY RULE IT OUT. IT OUT. >> THAT\u2019S NOT SOMETHING I WOULD DECIDE FOR A CITY. CITIES WILL HAVE TO MAKE THEIR OWN DECISIONS. OWN DECISIONS. AT THE STATE LEVEL, WE\u2019RE FOCUSED ON BALANCING THE BUDGET. >> Reporter: THE GOVERNOR ADDED MOVING THE BEARS TO ARLINGTON HEIGHTS WOULD BE DISAPPOINTING AS A FAN. BUT HE MADE IT CLEAR IT\u2019S ON THE MAYOR\u2019S PRIORITY LIST, NOT HIS. MAYOR\u2019S PRIORITY LIST, NOT HIS. FROM THE CONTROL CENTER, MARY ANN AHERN.”,”video_id”:”1956691523672_556″,”video_length”:”134902″,”video_provider”:”mpx”,”short_video_excerpt”:””,”show”:””,”event”:””,”genre”:””,”mpx_download_pid_mobile_low”:”yfg_3huXwtHw”,”pid_streaming_web_mobile_low”:””,”mpx_download_pid_mobile_standard”:”4TSpa3bbwFp4″,”pid_streaming_mobile_standard”:”WRHb0eTIMDT0″,”media_pid”:””,”alleypack_schedule_unpublish”:””,”feed_remote_id”:”mpx_1956691523672″,”feed_thumbnail_url”:””}” data-livestream=”false” data-title=”Pritzker Says a Bears Move Would Be ‘Disappointing'” data-vidcid=”1:6:2626034″ data-vidurl=”https://www.nbcchicago.com/top-videos-home/pritzker-says-a-bears-move-would-be-disappointing/2626034/” data-islead=”false” data-catnames=”{“27791″:”Top Videos”}” data-tagnames=”{“222142″:”Arlington Park”,”109″:”Chicago Bears”,”10788″:”Soldier Field”}” data-customdata=”{“ContentPartner”:”None”,”Source”:”WEBFM”,”SyndicationAllowed”:”true”,”mSNVideoCategories”:”MSN Video v4 Connector-most watched news”,”mSNVideoContentSupplierID”:”NBC_Local”,”mSNVideoCountry”:”us”,”subtitle”:”nosubtitle”,”uploadedByTeam”:”1″,”youtubeChannel”:”None”}” data-autoplay=”false” data-cplay=”true” data-video-sport=”” data-video-league=”” data-video-team=”” data-origin-call-letters=”WMAQ” data-video-canonical-url=”https://www.nbcchicago.com/top-videos-home/pritzker-says-a-bears-move-would-be-disappointing/2626034/”>