Still a "No"
Taking public property and also asking (demanding) taxpayers foot half the bill for a private corporation....we're not on board:
- The Chicago Bears unveiled plans for a new stadium on the city’s
lakefront Wednesday afternoon, the newest update in a years-long
process by the NFL franchise to replace Soldier Field with a
state-of-the art venue that would allow Chicago to host major sporting
events like the Super Bowl and the NCAA Final Four.
The Bears unveiled the plans during an afternoon press conference at Soldier Field. Mayor Brandon Johnson attended and delivered a speech following opening remarks from Bears President and CEO Kevin Warren. The Bears said they are aiming to break ground in the summer of 2025, with a planned grand opening in the summer of 2028.
But there are a few financial questions to be answered. Last month, Warren announced the team would provide more than $2 billion in funding to build a publicly-owned domed stadium and park space along the lakefront.
On Tuesday, however, the Chicago Tribune reported the Bears’ plan will ask taxpayers to cover about half the costs to build the new stadium. According to the report, sources speaking on condition of anonymity told the Tribune the plan is estimated to cost $4.6 billion to execute, with $3.2 billion directed toward building the new stadium itself and another $1.4 billion dedicated to infrastructure improvements around and outside the stadium.
Sources told the Tribune the Bears plan to put forward $2.3 billion in private capital, which would include some financing coming from the NFL. But the Bears’ plan will also ask for $2.3 billion in public financing.
We're pretty sure there have to be a number of hearings at various levels of government, along with a bond issue and the inevitable lawsuits by Friends of the Parks and other parties looking for either a payout or a piece of the action.
And after the convention riots this fall, no one is going to want to commit billions of non-existent taxpayer dollars to a stadium. Those non-existent dollars will have to be earmarked to rebuilt other burned down buildings.
UPDATE: Reinsdorf is sensing public mistrust of stadium spending and is (finally) offering to pay an unspecified portion from his own team money.
Labels: dumb ideas, money questions
posted by SCC at 12:01 AM
54 Comments:
8 games a year with NOTHING else in the area but a potential gun placed against your head?
Huh, NO !!!
The voters in Jackson County, Missouri just voted down an additional sales tax to fund construction of a new stadium for the KC Chiefs. Hopefully cook county IL voters tell the Bears to pound sand as well.
The CPMF Memorial sure doesn’t look like it’s included in any renderings.
Given the bad state of economics in Illinois, the idea of taxpayers forking over $2 billion for a stadium project is ridiculous. BTW, the Bears organization embarrassed itself at the press conference for the project. The Bears resorted to blatant racial pandering in order to pitch the project. Quite sad.
Sell your Arlington park property and pay for it yourself. Especially when taxpayers still owe almost 600 million on the current Soldier Field Stadium remodel. As for the sox There is nothing wrong with the current stadium, except the team sucks. Right next to the highway, CTA and Metra stops 1/2 block away, parking not bad.
Reinsdorf can go pound sand! Typical Billionaires asking for handouts. Cheap Jag!
Because a shortfall of Hotel taxes for paying the 2002 Soldier field rehab, Chicago taxpayers have been directing paying the rehab bills/bonds from City tax collections. ..
Lol ..It cost $632 million for the work.. amount still owed after 22 years of paying ..$$631 Million .. no mistake.. The Chicago Way
Mayor Conehead doesn't care... he gone in 3 years
Illinois has the highest property taxes of all 50 states ..highest gas taxes in America,2nd highest Sales Taxes ...Lets go Brandon... as in assswipe biden & johnson
I didn’t c gold star park in the Bears drawings, does it get moved?
Does the C on the helmet stand for Conehead?
So why are we giving 2 billion to these dodgy characters?
Mugsy’s body was exhumed and autopsy revealed internal organs to be missing and replaced with sawdust lawsuit says. Then Mug’s kids get shafted on their share of the team. (Allegedly could it be?)
https://threadreaderapp.com/thread/1569858384249212928.html
As the late great Crazy Rich of 015 would say, “What tree fights amongst its own branches?” (no tree has branches so foolish as to fight among themselves)
Pro sports and D1 level college sports (that can be bet on) appear fake scripted and/or rigged. Attention should be turned to HS, D2, D3 and CPD sports.
I hate the thought of hosting the final four or any other event that would bring in even more big 10 transplants. This is because Big 10 transplants are the scourge of the city.
I’d gladly put that money towards an exact replica of the old Soldier Field (Grant Park Stadium) for park district use.
Let the leftist D3 U of C play there. The real Monsters of the Midway. Matter a fact bring back the police motorcycle stunt team.
And can anyone confirm was there a shooting range beneath Soldier Field back in the day?
Taxpayers are getting hosed. Total rip off of taxpayers money. Taxpayers can’t afford to live here and now you want them to be broke. Taxpayers will lose their homes or cars because they can’t afford to pay their bills. But Chicago has a new stadium they didn’t need. So a sports team owner can make more money.
Numerous studies have proven publicly funded sports stadiums are a boondoggle and a money loss for taxpayers. This would be another taxpayer funded playground for the wealthy elites.
So then the taxpayers would be 50% owners and be issued shares of stocks and get shareholder"s equity checks every year.
To the sportsball owners: support your own product!
Is anyone feeling much love for what has become of the “game” if you’ve been alive long enough to be thinking about —hoping to see— retirement in the next decade? It’s a lame hot-dogging failure fest, loaded with excuses from players, coaches, management, and OWNERS. They don’t need to overpay like they do, yet they do, then plead hardship for supplemental funding from taxpayer chumps for their luxury stadiums.
Free advice: level off or cut your exorbitant and lavish spending on your facilities, players, coaches, and management.
If you’re like me, you’re beginning to see connections between game results and the betting. Jessica Savitch was onto it in the early 80’s and died a curious death not long after.
The Chicago Bears unveiled plans for a new stadium on the city’s lakefront Wednesday afternoon, the newest update in a years-long process by the NFL franchise to replace Soldier Field with a state-of-the art venue that would allow Chicago to host major sporting events like the Super Bowl and the NCAA Final Four.
Just rename it the Barack O'Bama Stadium and Library, so everyone can feel good about it...
If the estimated cost is 4.6 billion that means the actual cost will be about 5 billion....and for a historically losing team? No thanks, perhaps if they had a record and history like the Patriots.
"and can anyone confirm was there a shooting range beneath Soldier Field back in the day?
4/25/2024 01:58:00 AM"
Sounds plausible. I know they use to have sprint car races years ago.
The bears should build thousands of low income housing units on the Arlington park property. The lure all the low income housing dwellers from around the new stadium. Then bill section 8 for the rent. Section 8 also has the repair damage. Then the stadium might work. Arlington Heights will be a utopia too....
How does one keep bears from entering their camp site build and end zone they will never get in fuck them worst organization in the league
Don’t worry, Brandon will give them the money and the alderman will vote for it so they can get their share in the manila envelopes stuffed with cash because we know the feds are not going after any of them. They will go after people that protest like January 6 peaceful protesters, but yet they will let the antifa and the pieces of shit protesting at the universities do whatever they want. Did you also see we had six people robbed and 1/2 hour downtown yesterday four of them were tourists. Couple of them were beat up, great job and then you read the FOP magazine where they’re saying that the new states attorney is going to lock up the criminals no Johnny she said that she’s not going to be going after people after she was elected is that correct or what is she going to be doing the same as Kim Fox? Did she get them paid off already from soros?
This is sickening …Bears and White Sox are extremely profitable businesses in structurally sound, relatively new stadiums. They just want new stadiums so they can be even MORE PROFITABLE. Let them PAY for their OWN stadiums. If they think they can make more money in Arlington Heights or Nashville, let them go.
I don’t get why the average Joe or Jane should pay for the billionaires’ money making machine. Average salary in Chicago is $65,000. Leave us taxpayers alone! Did I mention that White Sox games aren’t even on free TV anymore … at least the Yankees put a few games on free TV for their fans. Everyone knows the supposed economic impact is a joke and is a bad deal for taxpayers.
These Billionaires already have more money than the average Joe will have even if he works for a 1,000 years x 1,000 times. The State, County and City are broke! Go leech off your own wallet, you filthy hogs.
Hey Billionaires!!! Go FREAK OFF!!!
Cubs received ZERO dollars to rehabilitate Wrigley Field which is a National Historic Landmark. The Bears and White Sox should not get one cent of subsidies or one cent in a property tax break. I don’t get any tax breaks … mine keep going up and up and up. I too work hard to benefit Illinois, the County and the City.
As such, Bears and White Sox should pay 100% out of their own wallets. Cubs did. I do too. Their stadiums are fine, they want new stadiums just to make more money. They haven’t paid off their current stadiums that already where publicly funded, unlike Wrigley Field. Tell the Bears and especially the White Sox to leave then!!!
Hell No!
The city is just trying to save face, how many major corporations have they chased out due to their policy failures. The Bears have to leave, pretending that people will come here for a Super Bowl is like pretending men can have babies.
I don't watch them spoiled millionaires any more, but I think they would look good in Gary, Indiana uni's.
Anonymous Anonymous said...
"and can anyone confirm was there a shooting range beneath Soldier Field back in the day?
4/25/2024 01:58:00 AM"
Sounds plausible. I know they use to have sprint car races years ago.
4/25/2024 06:30:00 AM
I also heard that from some of the old timers. Some Chicago High schools had rife ranges in the basements of high schools for the ROTC rifle teams. If you ever went into the basement of the old 15th district there was a huge steel plate that was said to be set up to be an old informal firing range.
There was a shooting range there. I got a look at it years after they closed it while working Park District Security. The young officer I was working with had his detective uncle suffer a fatal heart attack while shooting.
Back in 1973 we used to alternate between there and the range at 51 & Wentworth for firearms training as recruits. The range beneath the stands at Soldier Field originally was used by the old Park District Police force.
I’m ok with using tax money for the Bears. I’d even say invest the pension fund into it. It’s a can’t lose
Did anyone watch that absurd press conference? It was replete with lies and half truths. Johnson even proclaimed that not a penny of taxpayer money-will be earmarked for the construction project! just look what the Bears did to Arlington racetrack! They razed a beautiful park and left a mud pit. And now the plans are to construct a migrant center there. The Bears are garbage. The city and the organization are both thoroughly corrupt. I hope it falls through.
Regarding a shooting range at Soldier Field. Indeed there was. Located under the east stands. It was a terrible place. No ventilation, terrible lighting, no sound dampening, and always filthy dirty. Shotgun and machine gun classes were held there, in addition to regular fire arms training. I believe it was finally closed in the early 60s after the training staff sued the city and the Park District for the unhealthy work conditions. Old Timer
Pretty sure we still haven't paid off the current Soldier Field renovation let's start there. Unbelievable.
Yes, there was a shooting range beneath SF in the day.
here's a little math:
Tax payers borrow $2.5 Billion @ 6% = monthly payment of $17.9 Million or $214.9 Million per year.
$214.9 Million/8 games = $26.9 Million per game cost to the taxpayers.
With a capacity of 66,655, thats $403 per spectator (IF they sell out every game)
How is chicago going to extract $403 in taxes from each fan to pay for the bonds?
Retired in Texas……
Me thinks da Bears found 2 useful idiots in conehead and his side kick, Jason Lee. I bet da Bears have no intention of building a lake front stadium and are using the announced plans to gain tax advantages and concessions from Arlington Heights.
Da Bears probably view cone head and his ultra progressive advisor, Lee, as two untested imbeciles that they can dangle a shit covered carrot in front of during any type of negotiations for their Arlington Hts plan.
Go look at this clown Lee’s bio and past statements this goof has made, and how he wants to be a part of social change. Clearly a hard core business negotiator (sarc).
Stay safe out there.
To semi quote an old movie: If you build it, WILL THEY COME? This city is not what it used to be,
nor is an expected return to times of yore anywhere in sight. The social justice warriors have ruined
this city with the free-for-all crime policies wherein NO ONE goes to jail, NO ONE gets properly
prosecuted, and as crime continues to go unpunished by our Democratic hierarchy, crime will continue.
Bend
Over
Here
It
Comes
Again
If a new stadium will cost $4.6B, why don't they just put a dome on Soldier Field and fix that up? It would have to be cheaper.
I anticipate the snobs of "Friends of the parks" to fight for this land as vigorously as they did the land Obama grabbed for his "center" at Jackson park....
Yes there was a shooting range in a lower level of SF…
They also taught riding a three wheeler on the track of the field level..anyone remember Tex??
He was one of the instructors..
Gene Jaglowski
19 March 1973
"and can anyone confirm was there a shooting range beneath Soldier Field back in the day?
4/25/2024 01:58:00 AM"
True.
Just rename it the Barack O'Bama Stadium and Library, so everyone can feel good about it...
4/25/2024 06:03:00 AM
The Sparklefarts DEI Stadium.
Motto: Where the field is level for all!
Purpose: Used by organized and professional sports teams for the enjoyment of all races, colors, religions, sexual preferences, and established, trans or secret genders, however, no statistics or scores will be kept. Everyone is a winner!
Professional sports, what is the benefit? There is none. It gives unhealthy people something to do as they eat and drink themselves to death. I walked away during the kneeling nonsense and have found a dozen other hobbies that I enjoy more. It is surreal to hear people bitching and whining about the games they watched that weekend. One foot in the grave. Most people never attend a game, they can’t afford it because taxes are too high.
Confident the City and the Bears will fuck it up no doubt.
After screw up after screw up, Conehead is desperate for some kind of political "win" or positive press. The Bears realized he is a simpleton and are pushing this hard. Conehead and his people are too stupid to understand they are being played.
Soldier Field was just redone about 25 years ago when Daley was mayor. They removed the beautiful building on the site to make the current Soldier Field big enough and to accomodate parking and the such. Now, however, they feel it is already out of date. It is a stadium that holds people to watch a game. What they want now, is something like Alegiant Field in Las Vegas or where the Los Angelos Rams play. They want a new modernized field where not only can they make money from fans watching the game, but to make money from other endeavors in and around the stadium. This is something they should have thought about when they put this Soldier Field into the old Soldier Field. Getting a new field or stadium every 25-30 years is bullshit. You want it, you pay for it! Comiskey Park was a great park but instead of repairing it, they built another park that was alwful. Within 2 years they had to spend money to redo the whole upper deck. Now the team will be lucky to win 50 games this year and they also want a new place to play. I was a sox fan but now I am not a Chicago fan at all. Hate the Cubs but they did what they had to in replacing the whole area around Wrigley. It's a beautiful place and park and they sure are raking in the money with everything that is around there.
"can anyone confirm was there a shooting range beneath Soldier Field back in the day?"
Yes there was, entered the academy in 72, If I remember correctly it was underneath the east stands.
I may be in the minority, but I think the modern NFL sucks. The rules have been changed so much that it is hard to watch. The stupid kick off rules. You can't hit the quarterback. Not that any of these guy no how to tackle. The come flying in, with their arms at their chest, and hit someone like a missile. No wrap, no drive with the legs. Defensive backs don't even try to tackle, they just reach for a strip of the ball. The linemen are all 350 lb fat slobs, with braces on their knees, who can barely move. Offenses are like a playground pick up game with three to six receivers. So, defenses drop six, seven, eight guys into a zone. Very little run game. And every coach is a genius. Boring as hell.
And we are supposed to give the Bears billions for the privilege to watch this crap? Pass.
Well if they do build in the South lot which is south of 18th street say goodbye to any and all tailgating. There will be inside parking and there is no tailgating inside. Next every vehicle will need to be inspected by security prior to being allowed to park. This is done per NFL and homeland security around the country. Next 18th street will no longer exist because they will take the parking lot on the Northside of 18th street too. This stadium will make this area a traffic nightmare all because Brandon is going to take a handsome and lucrative payoff.
The CPMF Memorial sure doesn’t look like it’s included in any renderings.
4/25/2024 12:09:00 AM
The NFL Thug League teams are not going to show any form of respect for our nation or police officers, rather, the League shows tolerance for blatant displays of disrespect for our nation's flag and hatred of law enforcement. Buying, displaying and/or wearing any of their League gear or paraphernalia is anti-patriotic and akin to spitting on the stars and stripes. Tickets buyers and loyalists have been mass-hypnotized to support an evil entity. Their "advertised good deeds" are just camouflage. IMHO.
Reinsdorf is the devil
Don’t know about a range under Soldier Field but heard back about 60-70 years ago officers use to just shoot into Lake Michigan for qualification
I believe it was finally closed in the early 60s after the training staff sued the city and the Park District for the unhealthy work conditions. Old Timer
4/25/2024 08:53:00 AM
You are at least 10 years off. It was still in use for the 1973 classes. However, your description of the place and conditions is 100% true.
OTOH, Sgt. Tex was a character. He was once heard to tell a fledgling who had a fully-intact target after 12 rounds at the farthest distance, "kid, I am no optomology (sic) doctor, but even I can tell you are not far-sighted!"
You have to question the wisdom of building a massively expensive sports stadium near the center of a dying city. It’s a bit like putting lipstick on a rotting corpse.
I’m sure that Mayor Brandon’s “advisors” have told him this would “revive downtown” (not even a defibrillator can do that, now) by bringing in tourist dollars, but how many out-of-towners are going to want to come to Chicago with crime running rampant?
And now we’ve got a bunch of Hamas-holes blocking traffic and generally making life in the city more unpleasant than it already was… And just wait until the Democrat convention - shades of 1968!
If the Mayor wants to do something that will bring people back to the downtown area (and not to riot, loot, shoplift or burn doughnuts in the streets), he could try enforcing the laws, arresting criminals, prosecuting them and putting them in prison.
But that would make sense….
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