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Another Last-Ditch Stadium Idea to Sell Bears on Hospital Site Arises

There are many advantages to a new idea for the Michael Rees Hospital site but the fact the NFL and the Bears deemed the area too small in the past is an issue.
Gene Chamberlain|
A rendering courtesy of Capri of the proposed Bears stadium at the Michael Reese Hospital site.
A rendering courtesy of Capri of the proposed Bears stadium at the Michael Reese Hospital site. | Capri rendering

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Chicago Bears

When the Illinois legislature convenes next week for its lame duck session and considers Bears stadium legislation, it's possible they could be looking at a different suggestion.

It's an old idea somewhat altered, and there's no guarantee the Bears are even going to rate this as an option based on what they've said in the past.

The Capri Investment Group and GRIT Chicago is proposing a 75,000-seat indoors stadium at the old Michael Reese Hospital site in the Bronzeville neighborhood, 2.3 miles south of Soldier Field and at the lakefront. It would be connected to McCormack Place.

The Bears currently have said they're considering Hammond for their stadium but are willing to weigh an Illinois option.

The Illinois funding mechanism being considered later this month or in early December in Springfield was developed after Gov. J.B. Pritzker and some Chicago area politicians put it together, and is based on the Bears constructing the stadium but selling it back to the local government. The team would then lease it for a nominal fee to avoid paying taxes. However, they would have to pay taxes on any property where they build hotels, restaurants or other businesses near the stadium.

The plan is meant for an Arlington Heights project, but could also apply to a Chicago-based plan.

This newly proposed project is for an estimated $10 billion stadium a bit west of the previous Michael Reese Hospital plan that was discussed. It keeps the Bears playing within the city limits, but there are problems with it.

For one, the property was deemed too small in the past by both Bears ownership and NFL commissioner Roger Goodell. The new plan addresses this somewhat, but in the process also demolishes six buildings where people currently reside.

This is to be built on 100 acres of property and that's larger than the original plan for a stadium at this site, however it's nothing compared to the 326-acre Arlington International Racetrack site the Bears currently own.

The new plan includes hotel and businesse. The company's proposal includes 2,000 hotel rooms, 300,000 square feet of retail/restaurants, 400,000 square feet of office space, a 500,000-square-foot youth sports complex, and a 400,000-square-foot wellness center.

It includes some changes to Chicago public transportation to let fans get to the facility and 3,500 structured parking spaces, which seems entirely inadequate. They would need to build a 29th Street Metra station and a CTA Green Line station that would be half a mile from the stadium.

Another potential draw for the Bears is that the company is offering to buy the Arlington Heights property if the Bears pursue this Chicago option. The Arlington Heights property is 326 acres, though, which doesn't quite sound like an even trade off.

Yet another johnny-come-lately

This entire plan sounds like another one of Chicago's half-baked ideas thought up quite often during the Brandon Johnson and Lori Lightfoot mayoral administrations for hanging onto the Bears.

The site has already been studied and rejected for good reasons. It's much like the Johnny-come-lately idea of putting a stadium near the point where the Calumet River and Lake Michigan meet at the site of the old U.S. Steel South Works, or even the idea from the village of McCook to put one there. While there would be advantages to the Michael Reese property over some other sites suggested in the past, the Bears have already drawn up and have plans for the stadium in Arlington Heights on their own property and the Indiana offer is probably the best overall because of cost and taxes.

Getting their act together has been a problem in Chicago for years no matter the project or change. This one looks no different. The state needs to consider that legislation so the Bears can get their Arlington Heights stadium construction started as soon as possible.

The only real obstacle will once again be Chicago politicians, who can't accept the fact the team is owned by someone else and they've already decided to move it outside the city. This stadium plan released by Capri is going to provide fuel for those Chicago politicians to argue against Arlington Heights once again.

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Gene Chamberlain
GENE CHAMBERLAIN

Gene Chamberlain has covered the Chicago Bears full time as a beat writer since 1994 and prior to this on a part-time basis for 10 years. He covered the Bears as a beat writer for Suburban Chicago Newspapers, the Daily Southtown, Copley News Service and has been a contributor for the Daily Herald, the Associated Press, Bear Report, CBS Sports.com and The Sporting News. He also has worked a prep sports writer for Tribune Newspapers and Sun-Times newspapers.

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