It’s well known that the NFL is a league in constant expansion, with innovation and major investment being common themes across many franchises. In this particular case, one of the league’s most iconic stadiums could leave its current location and be transformed into a more modern venue with greater capacity.
Soldier Field, home of the Chicago Bears in the Windy City, was originally designed in 1919 as a monument honoring U.S. soldiers who died in World War I, and it officially opened on October 9, 1924.
The franchise’s strong intentions to build a more modern venue for its fanbase have led to the idea of relocating to Arlington Heights, just an hour’s drive from its current location.
“This is not an easy project, but Chicago doesn’t like it easy,” Bears president Kevin Warren said to the press.
Chicago Bears fans enter the Soldier Field.
The investment totals close to $4.7 billion: $3.2 billion allocated for the new stadium, plus an additional $1.5 billion for infrastructure.
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A major step forward for the franchise
Relocating a franchise is no simple task, and certainly not something that happens overnight. However, many believe this move would represent “significant progress” not only for the Bears but also for Arlington Heights.
“The Mayor spoke with executive leadership from the Chicago Bears, who indicated they intend to prioritize the development site located in the Village of Arlington Heights,” Mayor’s office said in a statement.
A long-term relocation
While there are intentions to relocate Soldier Field to Arlington Heights, the reality is that the project is unlikely to come to fruition in the near future.
“Even if the Bears were to break ground in Arlington Heights, they are many, many years off from moving to any new stadium should that even materialize,” Chicago Park District Supt. Ramirez-Rosa said.
“We’ve got several years to engage in a very robust, participatory planning process where we work closely with the mayor’s office and bring together civic leaders Downtown, local alderpeople, local state elected officials, residents of the South Loop and Loop and the chambers of commerce that have a stake in this. We bring them all to a table and plan for the future. Those types of decisions require a lot of consultation with the public. It requires coalition.”
The Super Bowl sting
The fact that the Super Bowl takes place in February means that frigid weather in certain parts of the country becomes a major obstacle for hosting such a high-profile event.
Chicago is not immune to this issue, and with Soldier Field being an open-air stadium, it has prevented the NFL from selecting this location to host a SB of this magnitude.
Eventually, with the construction of a new stadium and the possibility of it being a domed facility, the chances of hosting this game will significantly increase for the franchise in the future.
