Soldier Field Articles

Old is New Again: Soldier Field Plan Relies on Tried Technology

By Peter Kendall and Blair Kamin
TRIBUNE STAFF WRITERS
Web-posted: Saturday, September 14, 1996
Aware of all those high-tech sports domes that stick, leak and squeak, the architects who dreamed up the new proposal for a retractable roof over Soldier Field went decidedly low-tech in their mechanical scheme and classical in their design.
It's no dome, retractable or otherwise.
Think of it more as a 72,700-seat greenhouse with a roof that rolls back and forth on tracks.
Its designers call it a field house, as if it were a larger version of the quaint buildings in Chicago's parks.
This latest bombshell proposal from Mayor Richard Daley, made Friday afternoon, would raise a plastic, translucent roof over the distinctive classical columns of Soldier Field.
It would create a maw that could be opened up to let in Bear weather, yet closed to keep out duck weather.
And it would do that under a gently sloping roof line that would be familiar to anyone who has looked down Michigan Avenue at the Art Institute of Chicago.
But the nearly $400 million renovation, which Daley said could be completed in three years without disrupting a single football game, is a bundle of compromises.
Moreover, it isn't the state-of-the-art sports mecca Bears president Michael McCaskey has longed for.
It would only help a few thousand of the fans who complain that too many of seats are in the end zones.
And though the simple design is based on technologies that are virtually Victorian, it would employ them on a scale never before tested.
But Daley hopes the combination of natural grass, improved skyboxes and a movable roof will create the right blend of modern amenities and traditional ambience. That, he hopes, will prove more attractive to the Bears than the open-air renovation proposal he made last October.
"This is the new concept going into the next century," Daley said.
The technology for the sliding roof is appropriate for Chicago and the Bear's blue-collar image-- the roof operates on the same principles used inside the great steel mills on the southern tip of Lake Michigan.
There, gantries--bridge-like frameworks that span great lengths--roll across the mammoth mills with cranes on them, moving hot metal and machinery.
The same rolling gantry design, on an even larger scale, would slide the massive, one-piece moving roof on parallel tracks.
"There is nothing fancy about this structure," said Robert Wesley, a partner at the Chicago architectural and engineering firm of Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, which designed the plan. "It is all based on tried and true technology." Skidmore, which shaped the Sears Tower and John Hancock Center, has a history of solving complex architectural and engineering problems. The retractable roof would appear to be child's play for the firm, but there are doubters, nonetheless.
The roof is "a huge thing to move, and I think there's a lot of things that could go wrong," said Scott Pratt, a senior vice president at Murphy/Jahn of Chicago, which has floated its own retractable roof plan for Soldier Field.
"If it gets stuck, you can't just go and give it a push," Pratt said.
But another architect described the Skidmore plan as fairly simple and viable.
"It seems pretty straightforward," said Michael Wright, a project manager for Kansas City, Mo.-based Ellerbe Becket architects, designers of the Bank One Ballpark in Phoenix, which will have a retractable roof when completed.
He found it highly unlikely that the roof structure would derail, causing it to get stuck. He said this was especially true because of the simple motion required of the roof.
Under Skidmore's design, the roof would have two pieces. One would be a fixed half-circle covering the seats in the south end zone.
The other would be a movable rectangle, about 6 acres in size, covering the field and north end zone when closed. It could be opened, a process the architects said would take about 20 minutes, to expose the field and sideline seats. (When in the open position, the movable roof would still cover the north end zone and the open stadium space behind it.)
None of the existing walls or columns at Soldier Field would be used to hold up the roof. Instead, the new structure would be set around the stadium on columns, almost like a table on legs.
That would leave intact the enormous classical colonnades on the east and west, the visual trademark of the building designed by Chicago architects Holabird & Roche and completed in 1926.
The key to raising this roof, of course, is building a suitable foundation for the columns.
Long ago, Chicago builders learned how to deal with the soggy, unstable soil around the city, much of which was created by landfill.
While the design isn't complete, engineers believe the new foundation could be created with about 100 caissons--round holes that are drilled into the earth and filled with concrete and reinforcing steel bars.
Each of the caissons would be between 4 and 6 feet in diameter and would be drilled 90 feet to hardpan clay, the same geologic structure that supports most of the city's skyscrapers.
Atop the caissons would be the new columns that bear the load of the roof. On each side of the field, massive "super columns" would be set about 100 yards apart to support the roof's track as it rides over the top of the new skyboxes.
The roof itself is a simple truss design created with translucent, extruded plastic panels placed into an 11,000-ton steel frame.
Could it handle a 26-inch snowfall?
Wesley said that wind off the lake, the pitch of the roof and the lack of places for the snow to drift would keep snow from piling up.
The sightlines that would be offered by the renovated Soldier Field are a major issue for the Bears, especially because of the ongoing fan dissatisfaction with the upper deck at Comiskey Park.
As Daley proposed in his last plan for Soldier Field, the playing field would be dropped by about 21 feet to improve the fans' view.
This would put the playing field below the water table, creating another task for the engineers: keeping the water out.
The solution to that, too, relies on technology as old as dams and levies. The proposal calls for "slurry walls" that create waterproof barriers, a common feature around Chicago. In fact, there are numerous underground parking garages in the city that go several stories beneath the water table, far deeper than the lowered field would be.
But the plan does not rotate the field 90 degrees to decrease the number of end zone seats, a step suggested last year.
Skidmore associate partner Brian Jack said that 53 percent of the seats in the renovated stadium would be considered "sideline seats," while "about half" are sideline seats now.
Most National Football League stadiums have 55 percent of their seats along the sidelines, Jack said.
The new configuration would raise the present two rows of skyboxes, creating room for nine additional rows of seats along the sidelines.
Buildings often start with an architect drawing on the back of a cocktail napkin, and this one doesn't appear to be much different.
When Edgar's proposal for a $465 million domed stadium pushed Daley's plan for renovating Soldier Field to the sidelines in February, it sent the plan's architect--Skidmore partner Adrian Smith-back to the drafting board.
Smith--whose credits include Chicago's popular towers for NBC and AT&T, the ongoing redesign of State Street, and the under-construction Jin Mao tower in Shanghai, which will be one of the world's tallest buildings--came up with a "dome" plan of his own.
Smith took his rough idea to Daley administration officials and was told to work it out, architects from the firm said. On Friday, as he presented the plan, Daley fiddled with the architectural model on a table, absentmindedly sliding the roof open and closed.
Now that it is in the public domain, however, the Skidmore plan will have to overcome both political hurdles and public mistrust of retractable roofs.
The most notorious precedent is Olympic Stadium in Montreal, built for the 1976 Summer Games and designed by Roger Taillibert, a Paris-based architect.
This is what Taillibert predicted: "A strong synthetic fabric attached to cables suspended from the tower will cover the central opening, folding and unfolding easily and quickly."
This is what the Montreal Gazette reported in 1991: "In practice, however, the roof has never performed as promised. Opening and closing it has always been so precarious a business that when it works it still takes twice as long as the time required to roll around the retractable roof on Toronto's Skydome."
Earlier this month, after years of tearing proved the roof could not withstand Montreal's winds, the managers of the stadium announced plans to replace the retractable roof with a fixed one.

Old is New Again: Soldier Field Plan Relies on Tried Technology

Daley Plan Raises Roof

Mayor Daley unveils a $400 million dollar proposal to transform Soldier Field into a new sports stadium with a movable roof. (Tribune photo by John Kingas)
By Jacquelyn Heard and Sue Ellen Christian
TRIBUNE STAFF WRITERS
Web-posted: Saturday, September 14, 1996
Mayor Richard Daley, who has a history of surprise announcements of huge dream projects, unveiled on Friday a $400 million proposal to virtually demolish Soldier Field, leaving only its historic facade while building a new sports stadium with a movable roof.
And though Daley's drawing board has produced its share of failed mega-projects--including a big Lake Calumet airport and a monster downtown casino--his Friday bombshell at least seemed intriguing to the two other major figures involved.
Gov. Jim Edgar and Chicago Bears President Michael McCaskey were briefed on the proposal by Daley in Edgar's Chicago office an hour before the mayor's afternoon news conference. In the past, Daley has used the news media to present his plans, usually inviting scorn or at least a wait-and-see response from adversaries and potential allies.
Friday, however, Edgar hailed Daley's plan as a good starting point for negotiations, and McCaskey, who has continually expressed his preference for a new football stadium, said it looked a little bit more like what he wanted all along.
The willingness of Edgar and McCaskey to listen to the Daley plan represents more than just a morale booster.
Edgar has been pushing use of funds from the Metropolitan Pier and Exposition Authority to construct an entirely new domed stadium near the McCormick Place complex along Lake Michigan. In a sense, he has become Daley's rival in the bid to keep the Bears in Chicago.
And McCaskey, who will be the most visible tenant of any new facility, has been asked to contribute millions to help finance a new stadium. His team is the prize, and he is the one being courted--even if Daley makes no secret about being a reluctant suitor.
Through all the political maneuvering, Daley has continued to hawk the continued use of the venerable but decaying Soldier Field as the home of the Bears and other big outside events.
Friday's announcement, accompanied by detailed design plans from the Skidmore, Owings & Merrill architectural firm, incorporates almost all of the publicly announced goals of the three main participants--including the grass field that Daley, McCaskey and Bears players prefer.
It would be financed by $175 million from the Bears, $160 million from the McCormick Place board and $60 million in bonds that would be paid off through stadium revenues--not from the pocketbooks of city or state taxpayers.
In criticizing Edgar's plans for a domed stadium, Daley previously objected to using tourism-related taxes in Chicago, which apply to some restaurants and hotels. He had called for the tax burden to be spread throughout the six-county region. But Friday, Daley backed off that demand.
The new proposal would give Daley the opportunity to say publicly that he had saved Soldier Field, even though little more than a portion of the facade and its Roman columns would be retained. Not even the name would remain intact. Daley's proposal Friday called the project "The New Soldier Field House," an unwieldy title that likely would be replaced if the project moves forward.
"This new stadium will be the envy of the National Football League," said Daley, who was accompanied at his City Hall news conference by his top aides. Edgar and McCaskey didn't make the walk across the street from the Thompson Center where the closed-door meeting had occurred.
"On days and nights with good weather, it will be an excellent open-air facility," Daley said. "On cold or rainy days, the roof can be rolled over top, creating an outstanding indoor stadium. And all games will be played on a grass field."
Edgar's plan to build a dome attached to the McCormick Place area would have cost about $150 million more than the estimated $400 million price tag Daley has put on his Soldier Field rehab.
But the $175 million cost to the Bears would be the same, causing McCaskey to express caution about the Daley project.
"We're not yet at a consensus," McCaskey said. "This is just a very good first meeting. There were ideas talked about that would seem to meet the needs of the city and the state, McCormick Place and the Chicago Bears.
"It's something that obviously is worth further study, but we have to be able to do that study. We have to see what the seating will be like for the fans and get a fix on what it would cost."
One potential seating problem is that even with renovation, the domed Soldier Field still would include a significant number of seats in the end zones. McCaskey in the past has complained about wanting more fans between the end lines.
Edgar also expressed caution after the meeting, praising Daley's movement toward compromise but warning that he could not quickly sign off on such a big project.
"We made some significant progress today, and we're going to continue to work on this," said Edgar, who has been engaged in an almost daily public scrap with Daley on the future of Meigs Field, the lakefront airport that Daley wants to close and that Edgar wants to stay open.
McCaskey, who had said he needed to know by last January what the city and state were going to do about a new sports facility, said he was at least encouraged that a dialogue had resumed after months of silence.
"It's a delight that we can have the three principals sit down and talk in such a constructive way," McCaskey said. "We said we needed to know last January, and that's genuinely true. This is an urgent matter as far as the Bears are concerned, and we've got to get going."
Although signs from all sides appeared promising Friday, Daley's history of pushing big civic projects has been marred by notable failures.
His proposal to develop a huge airport at Lake Calumet on the Southeast Side, while well-prepared and -documented, fell quickly into oblivion.
Daley also surprised everyone when he embraced a plan by major Las Vegas casino interests to construct a 100-acre gambling hall and theme park somewhere near downtown Chicago. Once again, Daley made his announcement without telling other top government leaders. And Edgar's refusal to support land-based or even riverboat gambling in Chicago torpedoed that Daley plan.
So Friday, Daley gave the principals an hour's notice before unfurling his Soldier Field plan at a news conference.
Highlights of the project include the expansion of stadium seating to 72,700, an increase of about 2,000; 1,600 new enclosed club seats; 84 new two-level upper-deck skyboxes; new upper-level and mid-level club lounges; and a new press box.
The crown in the plan, however, is the retractable roof, which could be slid into place in just 20 minutes, according to Daley. And a sunken game field would provide something that some sports teams feel is essential--"greatly increased crowd noise levels"--according to Daley's prepared presentation.
Edgar had been adamant about having a dome, citing other uses for such a facility besides football games. And Daley said Friday that he had met Edgar's demands.
"The governor wanted the roof, so he got it," Daley said, smiling.
"The New Soldier Field House is the best of all worlds--a traditional football stadium, at a great location, with a grass field--that is also a modern convention center and a true Chicago marvel for the 21st Century," Daley effused.

September 14, 1996 - Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley unveiled a surprise plan for a $395 million conversion of Soldier Field that would add a retractable dome over the stadium where the Bears play.

VIEWPOINT/Soldier Field
Don Pierson
An Open-Don't-Shut Case
Daley's Stadium Idea Can Make Everyone a Winner
Web Posted: Sept. 14, 1996

Just never close it. Keep an open mind about this.
Mayor Daley's plan to build a retractable roof over Soldier Field could be the greatest news the Bears and their fans ever could hear, so long as Michael McCaskey can control the switch.
The NFL can close it for their Super Bowls, which undoubtedly would come to Chicago on a more regular basis than ever before to a northern-climate city. But for old time's sake, the Bears should leave it open rain or shine, snow or no, wind or wind.
Open or closed, the primary consideration for Bears President McCaskey and Bears fans is what's inside. If the plans are only to put a roof over the existing structure, they might as well pitch a tent over a mud puddle. Port-a-potties feel the same indoors or out. End-zone seats under gray skies are end-zone seats under rafters. And Super Bowls are not attracted to facilities without major-league scoreboards.
Keeping warm and dry never was McCaskey's intention, not for the bulk of the paying customers, anyway. A better lease, more skyboxes, more amenities are what he wants. If the city brings the inside up to date, it can do whatever it wants with a roof. But for the Bears to pay anything close to the $175 million share they have to sell permanent seat licenses to fans convinced they would be buying more than Soldier ``Infield.''
Mayor Daley says it would be the envy of the NFL, ``a true Chicago marvel for the 21st Century.'' If so, Bears fans would be the luckiest on earth. Just promise never to have a Bears-Packers game inside.
Unless you count Arena League teams, the Toronto Argonauts of the Canadian Football League are the only football team that regularly plays in a retractable domed stadium. They close the SkyDome about half the time, depending on the weather. The Toronto Blue Jays baseball team sometimes keeps it closed even in good weather if they are winning.
Winning never happens in a dome in the NFL, at least not on any sustained basis. A domed team never has won a Super Bowl, nor even played in one. The Minnesota Vikings went to Super Bowls regularly when they played outdoors. Since they moved indoors, they have disappeared from the NFL horizon, much the way the Iditarod sled dog race would if run in an ice rink. No one knows exactly why. It's just a fact of football life that the game was invented as an outdoor sport.
Put the Bears and their long, proud tradition under cover and they immediately would go into hibernation. Packers fans would love it.
But overall, this is more than a good idea. If done right, it could satisfy everybody. The Bears belong in Chicago, downtown Chicago, on the lakefront in Chicago, able to see Chicago.
It is the greatest location, the most spectacular setting in the NFL. New York put its teams into a New Jersey swamp, with the skyline barely visible. Los Angeles put its teams into Orange County and into a Coliseum crumbling faster than Soldier Field. Both the Raiders and Rams left.
Chicago is the only city in the country with five major-league sports teams playing within the city limits. It should be a point of pride as well as a point of practicality to keep it that way.
That the plan was sprung on McCaskey is a note of caution.
``No commitments have been made,'' McCaskey said.
But the mayor wouldn't announce this purely as a political stunt, would he? He can't just cover up a plan the Bears already rejected and expect McCaskey to like it, can he? Remember, McCaskey originally wanted neither Soldier Field nor a dome. To offer him both now is a risky proposition indeed.
Because it is his only offer, however, McCaskey must do everything he can to make it work, not only for himself but also for Bears fans who have been around longer than he has.
``The devil is in the detail in all of these kinds of deals,'' said Marc Ganis, a stadium consultant from Sportscorp Inc., based in Chicago. Ganis has worked on deals with the Raiders in Oakland and the Rams in St. Louis.
``The notion of a significant contribution by the Bears, not having to buy additional land, creating a structure that could serve the governor's stated goals as well as the mayor's stated goals, that was the direction this project should have gone in,'' Ganis said.
``If you can have a Super Bowl in Minneapolis and Pontiac, Mich., you can certainly have one in Chicago if they have a dome,'' NFL spokesman Greg Aiello said.
But the league won't be able to sell $500 Super Bowl seats in the same old Soldier Field just because they add a ceiling.
Don Pierson covers the NFL for the Tribune.

1 new domed stadium with 2 football teams?
By John Kass and Don Pierson
TRIBUNE STAFF WRITERS
Web-posted: Thursday, May 8, 1997 11:44 pm CST

After two mediocre seasons, each without a playoff appearance, more competition is probably the last thing the Bears need right now--but it's not inconceivable they could get some in their very own hometown.
Mayor Richard Daley on Thursday threw his support behind a plan to bring another National Football League team to Chicago, a move that would allow the new team and the Bears to split the costs of a new stadium.
There is one question about the grand idea: Which team?
How about the Chicago Cardinals, returning to a city they ditched in 1960? Or how about the Chicago Colts, whose owner has deep roots in the Chicago area.
Then again, for those familiar with stadium trial balloons, there is another question: Is all of this just wishful thinking?
``Chicago is the greatest sports city in the country and can easily support two NFL teams,'' Daley said in a statement from Mexico, where he is traveling on a trade mission. ``I am very interested to see the plans to bring a second pro football team to Chicago.''Under the current proposal being discussed by the Bears and Gov. Jim Edgar, the team is being asked to pay $175 million toward a $500 million domed stadium near the lakefront. Predictably, and despite the prospect of splitting costs, the Bears on Thursday were immediately uninterested in the new stadium spaghetti being tossed against the wall to see if it would stick.
In fact, they were threatened by the strands.
A second team in Chicago could cut into the Bears' profit base, and force him to compete for players and fans in the same media area.
The NFL, through spokesman Greg Aiello, said the league was unaware of any talk about two teams in Chicago.
The idea is the brainchild of longtime Democratic political operative and former Chicago Cardinals fan Tom ``Tuna'' Carey, who grew up on the South Side. He still talks about Charlie Trippi and Ollie Matson, and the Cardinals winning the 1947 NFL championship.
Carey has based his hopes on several key points: League realignment is coming; the NFL television contract is up next year, and NBC has long coveted a share of the Chicago football market; and the existence of two teams would make a stadium deal easier to complete for the politicians, who want to build big projects before the 1998 election year.
And he has lined up some impressive support, including James C. Tyree, chairman and president of Mesirow Financial, a giant investment firm based here.
Carey's idea is to bring Bill Bidwill's Cardinals--which began as the pre-NFL Racine Avenue Cardinals 100 years ago--back to Chicago.
``The idea is to create jobs, save taxpayers money and build a sense of community spirit,'' said Carey. ``It can be done. But it will take support from political, labor, business and civic leaders.''
To Carey's dismay, the Cardinals on Thursday said they weren't interested. Bidwill's team has cut a deal with the state of Arizona to develop a taxing authority for a new stadium.
Michael J. Bidwill, vice president and general counsel of the Arizona Cardinals, threw cold water on the notion.
``Any suggestion the Arizona Cardinals would consider returning to Chicago is a fairy tale,'' he said.
But Carey isn't giving up.
``This is just the beginning on this thing, you'll see some people's attitude's change,'' Carey said. ``The pieces are all there.''
Carey means that the NFL will begin renegotiating its next television contract this coming season. A piece of the Chicago television market would be a plum for NBC, which broadcasts games in the American Football Conference.
The AFC consists of smaller-market football towns. The Cardinals are now in the NFC, but could be switched to the AFC amid league realignment.
NBC repeatedly has argued that its share of network football telecasts does not penetrate into the lucrative top media markets, and the network would be thrilled to have a Chicago beachhead.
But Jim Irsay, owner of the AFC Indianapolis Colts and a former Chicagoan, also is getting antsy for a new stadium.
Irsay said Thursday he didn't know whether Indianapolis is big enough for two sports teams--his and the National Basketball Association's Pacers--a clear threat to take his team and leave.

By John Kass and Jacquelyn Heard
TRIBUNE STAFF W-2>RITERS
Web-posted: Tuesday, May 13, 1997 11:40 pm CST

The last time Bill Wirtz got involved in a stadium deal with Bears President Michael McCaskey, the Blackhawks owner got angry and crushed McCaskey's plan like a bug.
A decade ago, McCaskey wanted a football stadium on the West Side and would have taken Wirtz's acres of parking lots to get it. Wirtz heard about McCaskey's aims while cruising the lake on his yacht. He picked up the phone, called the governor's office and killed the deal in 30 seconds.
But now, Wirtz and his partner in the United Center, Bulls and White Sox Chairman Jerry Reinsdorf, are putting together a stadium deal for McCaskey's Bears.
The proposal calls for a $300 million open-air stadium, to be privately financed and costing the taxpayers nothing, on the site where Gov. Jim Edgar wants to build a $500 million publicly subsidized dome.
According to sources who made the pitch to the Bears, McCaskey would be required to pay ``significantly less'' than the $175 million Edgar is asking the team to shoulder as part of the domed-stadium deal.
Wirtz and Reinsdorf know their West Side arena would be threatened with a significant loss of revenue if a domed stadium were built along the lakefront. Both enclosed venues would compete for major events, from college basketball tournaments to rock concerts and ice shows.
Proponents of Edgar's plan view the latest ``offer'' as a way to derail dome talks.
Sources close to Reinsdorf and Wirtz, however, said Tuesday that the two team owners are serious about the deal.
The catch for McCaskey? He would have to sit down in a room and negotiate with Wirtz and Reinsdorf, who made fortunes breaking egos in Chicago real estate while McCaskey was in the Peace Corps. He then would have to live with them as landlords.
Publicly, officials with the Bears and Edgar's office knew little or nothing about the Reinsdorf-Wirtz offer. But several sources said an offer was made Monday, first to the Bears and then to officials in Edgar's office.
The offer was carried by investment banker John Glennon, a former Lehman Brothers brokerage official who helped Wirtz and Reinsdorf get Japanese funding for the privately financed United Center. After pitching the Bears early Monday, sources said, Glennon sat down with a senior adviser to the governor who originally thought the meeting was to discuss the bond business.
The drawings of an open-air stadium near the lake were done by the HNTB Corp. in Kansas City.
Mayor Richard Daley, who enthusiastically supports the idea of a second National Football League team for the city, said he would back the idea of a privately financed stadium.
``Can it be done privately? That's what you have to find out,'' he said before a brief trip to Springfield on other matters. ``If they can build it, the taxpayers would love it.''
But Andy Foster, who is Edgar's aide in charge of dome talks, wasn't pleased with the speculation. ``Go ask Jerry Reinsdorf what the plan is. No one has presented a plan for an open-air facility. We have not seen a plan.
``We continue to focus on the multipurpose facility and are in talks with the city and Mike McCaskey. And we don't know about any other plan.''
State Senate President James ``Pate'' Philip (R-Wood Dale), said lawmakers would enthusiastically support a privately funded stadium rather than raise taxes on restaurants and other entertainment.
Tribune reporter Rick Pearson contributed to this article.

By John Kass
TRIBUNE POLITICAL WRITER
Web-posted: Saturday, May 17, 1997 10:28 pm CST

For those who wonder if Jerry Reinsdorf and Bill Wirtz are serious about building an open-air stadium in which the Bears could play, or if they're merely blowing smoke to protect their business at the United Center, there are two things to consider:
Reinsdorf and Wirtz don't joke about money. And they never joke about money.
Two of the city's shrewdest negotiators, they have changed the shape of the stadium debate by proposing a privately financed venue.
What once was thought to require $500 million in mostly public money, the Bulls' and Blackhawks' owners are now saying, could be done with half that much--and relatively little of it from taxpayers.
And so politicians, taxpayers and others are faced with questions:
Should the public, through taxes, subsidize the lion's share of a domed football stadium for the Bears that will be shaped and controlled by Gov. Jim Edgar and costs at least $500 million, not including at least $13 million a year in operating expenses and added millions in debt service?
Or should there be an open-air stadium at half that cost for football and soccer played on grass, with operating costs of $3 million a year, all paid for and run by the men who control the Blackhawks, Bulls and White Sox and their presumed tenant, the Bears?
The answer may seem obvious to most fans, but it is not clear whether either one is likely to come true.
Those who remember the White Sox stadium battles of the late 1980s know that everything is negotiable and nothing is ever truly dead as long as it's attached to a multimillion-dollar revenue stream.
For the past 25 years, football stadium plans in Chicago have been as substantive as air sandwiches. They involve failed stadium boomlets from Aurora to Gary, and frosty invitations by City Hall that Bears President Michael McCaskey move his team to Alaska.
Absent hard evidence, this newest proposal still looks just as shaky as all the others. Edgar on Friday threw more cold water on the plan, saying the state would not offer up free land to Reinsdorf and Wirtz--as their idea calls for.
For politicians, particularly Chicago's Mayor Richard Daley and Edgar, stadium talks have been a turf war.
It's been a scrap over influence and contracts and union support and the luxurious boodle attached to big public works projects. Football fans yawn, meanwhile, while McCaskey grows anxious and other players try to trim the stadium tree with casino gambling and other grand plans.
Given the wispy nature of stadium politics in Illinois, however, perhaps there is a case to be made to at least consider the new debate. Remember, Reinsdorf and Wirtz don't joke about money.
While some experts in sports business said an open-air football stadium built with private money could turn a profit in Chicago, others are more skeptical. Such venues have been rare over the past two decades, largely because they are so expensive to build and because they cannot accommodate enough non-football events to make money.
Still, the Carolina Panthers recently began playing at such a stadium in Charlotte. The Washington Redskins will move into one this fall.
``What Wirtz and Reinsdorf have done is, they've opened up the discussion,'' said Marc Ganis, whose Sportscorp Ltd. in Chicago has worked two successful NFL stadium deals, moving the Rams to St. Louis from Los Angeles and moving the Raiders back to Oakland from Los Angeles.
``They've put something on the table,'' Ganis said. ``Can they do it? Sure, if it's properly designed. Will it be done? In Chicago, that's ultimately a political question, isn't it?''
Before taxpayers accuse Wirtz and Reinsdorf of playing the altruists, promising to provide the greater good, remember that they also want to protect business at the United Center. The privately funded arena they own currently is the venue of choice for indoor events.
Derailing McDome, Edgar's plan for an enclosed football stadium, would protect profits on non-sports extras at the West Side arena--ice shows, rock concerts and circuses that might move to the lakefront if a dome were available.
But United Center sources say Wirtz, who owns the Blackhawks, and Reinsdorf, chairman of the Bulls and White Sox, genuinely are convinced they could build an outdoor stadium and still give the Bears the same revenues Edgar would offer from a domed facility.
``We're not happy about a dome,'' acknowledged one source advocating the deal. ``But also, why not consider a stadium at half the cost? We could give the Bears the same revenue deal. We know we can.''
Under Edgar's dome plan, the Bears were asked to offer $175 million upfront. Revenues from skyboxes and other sources, including personal seat licenses that can sell for up to several thousand dollars apiece, would have to reach at least $35 million a year to make McCaskey happy with such a deal.
At a stadium built with private money, similar equations would hold. Reinsdorf and Wirtz may believe they could attract enough non-football events such as soccer and extract enough rent from McCaskey--along with revenue streams such as naming rights, perhaps ``McDonald's Stadium'' usurps the unofficial ``McDome'' moniker for $1 million a year--to make a go of it.
``These are people who have already privately financed a sports stadium,'' said Allen Sanderson, a professor of economics who teaches sports business at the University of Chicago. ``If the political leadership doesn't seriously consider it, or if they're perceived as not interested so as to protect their own stadium turf, they will feel mounting political pressure.''
So far, however, there has been no pressure on Edgar except for the support some state legislative leaders have given the Wirtz-Reinsdorf idea.
``I haven't seen the details, but if they could build it privately and it would cost half of what McDome would cost, why not?'' asked State Senate President James ``Pate'' Philip (R-Wood Dale.) ``An alternative to taxes is something you've got to look at, always.''
But as Wirtz and Reinsdorf floated their plan primarily to protect their own turf, Edgar moved to protect his as well. After several days of ignoring the new stadium trial balloon, the governor on Friday moved to squash it outright.
A spokesman for Edgar said the governor would not allow Wirtz and Reinsdorf to use the land near McCormick Place designated for McDome, the preferred site for an open-air stadium. The added cost of land acquisition obviously would make any private venture even tougher.
``The governor would not support putting an open-air stadium on or about the McCormick Place site,'' said Edgar spokesman Thomas Hardy.
``For a privately financed stadium, they'd have to find a site and buy the land themselves,'' Hardy said, adding nevertheless that the state would consider helping with infrastructure costs such as sewers and roads.
``But we've not had any contact or followup regarding the sketchy details of what was floated earlier in the week,'' Hardy said. ``So consequently, it hasn't had any impact on the multipurpose facility negotiations that have been progressing.''
The Bears clearly are not enthusiastic about the prospects of a Wirtz-Reinsdorf stadium, and neither is Edgar. Daley can barely suppress a giggle and believes that ultimately the discussion will again return to a refurbishment of Soldier Field, where the Bears now play.
And while Ganis and Sanderson think Reinsdorf and Wirtz might be able to pull off a private stadium, others aren't so sure.
Max Muhleman, president of his own consulting firm in Charlotte, N.C., said it would be difficult to imagine anyone building what he called a world-class football stadium in Chicago for $250 million, even with land and infrastructure covered. He estimated it would cost $210 million to replace Ericsson Stadium in Charlotte, used by the Carolina Panthers, ``and this is not a union town.''
Gary Roberts, professor of law at Tulane University in New Orleans and director of the law school's sports program there, said, ``Jerry Reinsdorf does not do anything out of the goodness of his heart. What's he getting out of this?''
For those who know him, the answer is: Whatever he can.
Tribune staff writer Bill Barnhart and pro football writer Don Pierson contributed to this article.

By Rick Pearson
TRIBUNE ZESTAFF WRITER
Web-posted: Wednesday, June 4, 1997 11:56 pm CST

SPRINGFIELD--When the National Football League was looking for a place to hold a conference to discuss new concepts in sports stadiums, challenging architects to come up with impressive new designs, the Chicago area seemed an appropriate choice.
Where else have more stadium designs and concepts collapsed during the last decade after repeated efforts to build a new home for the Chicago Bears?
NFL officials said they will hold the two-day design symposium beginning June 24 at a Rosemont hotel. The agenda, however, does not include how to finance a new structure or how to overcome seemingly insurmountable political hurdles to get one built.
But it will definitely provide Bears President Michael McCaskey with an effort to showcase state-of-the-art stadium design, while aides to Gov. Jim Edgar and Chicago Mayor Richard Daley remain at a standstill on prospects for a domed stadium. And on the sidelines, two other city sports moguls are dangling their proposal for an open-air facility.
``We're bringing in some of the top architectural firms that deal in stadiums and have them discuss ideas covering the whole gamut of stadium issues, from the field and domes and retractable domes, destination-type entertainment centers to seats and stadium amenities,'' Greg Aiello, the league's director of communications, said Wednesday.
At least a half-dozen architectural firms, including HOK of Kansas City, which designed the St. Louis Rams' Trans World Dome and is working on a new stadium for the Baltimore Ravens, have signed up to make presentations to NFL executives.
Aiello said the idea for the symposium came from the league owners' stadium committee, chaired by Jerry Richardson of the Carolina Panthers.
McCaskey, Aiello said, is a member of the committee and is ``supportive of the idea of doing this type of thing as we develop stadiums and look to the future and make sure they are long-lasting and serve team needs and community needs.''
The symposium will include discussions on the innovations in the use of natural grass in indoor stadiums, costs and planning of retractable-roof technology, retail and theme park linkage, non-sports stadium uses, and maximizing sponsorship visibility.
All of this comes with little progress to report in the effort to create a new home for the Bears.
Aides to Edgar and Daley had hoped to be able to reach a deal on a proposed domed-stadium annex to McCormick Place before the end of the recently concluded spring session of the General Assembly.
But when Edgar's $1.6 billion plan to reform state education funding stalled in the Republican-run Senate, there was little political upside in attempting to proceed with the so-called McDome project.
``Our last conversations were positive. I think we've made a lot of progress in the last few months,'' said Andy Foster, Edgar's deputy chief of staff and the governor's point man on the stadium issue.
``Obviously, we had hoped to have it done in the spring session. Our objective now is to look to the fall if the Bears and the city are still agreeable to that,'' he said.
Another late-session wrinkle developed when United Center owners Jerry Reinsdorf and William Wirtz offered their proposal to construct a privately financed open-air football stadium.

Chicago Football Stadium
Proposal by
Jeffrey D. Thompson

One Tradition Plaza

Luxury high-rise condominiums, Riverboat casino, hotel, stores, sports bars,and restaurants surrounding the football field and seating arena.
This proposal was sent to Mr. McCaskey of the Chicago Bears back in January of 1996. It is my personal solution for a football stadium to be built in downtown Chicago at Clark Avenue and Roosevelt Road. I've been looking for backers since I first decided to embark on this journey. Major players in Chicago have had this proposal sent to them. Mr. McCaskey, Mayor Daley, Ex. Governor Egar, and Governor G. Ryan. With the help of this website I intend to show the people of Chicago that there is another proposal out there, that could possibly be built with private funds. Mr. McCaskey did reply in favor. I also have a model made for my idea.
Thanks for stopping by. You can send your comments or reserve your condo by e-mail to Jeffrey D. Thompson

Monday June 8, 1998 Deadline nears for anti-stadium petitions
ELK GROVE VILLAGE, Ill., June 8, 1998 (UPI) - A Wednesday deadline is looming for signatures on a petition opposing a proposed Chicago Bears stadium in northwest suburban Elk Grove Village.
The petitions have been circulating since mid-May and are expected to be presented at an Elk Grove Village Board meeting June 23.
Elk Grove Village President Craig Johnson told the Arlington Heights Daily Herald the opposition campaign may be premature.
Johnson said, ``If a proposal is made to us, we would want to make sure it is a benefit and any concerns of the local community would have to be addressed.''
But Johnson said the town's board has an obligation to listen to developers and wait for proposals before ruling anything out.
Landowner Allen Busse reportedly is asking $30.5 million for nearly 70 acres of farm property in the northwest Chicago suburb.
The newspaper said Bears President and CEO Michael McCaskey was at the Elk Grove Village municipal building last week in what town officials described as one of many meetings between the two sides.
Mary Riordan is representing the village as a special counsel in talks with the professional football team's management. She said talks have been successful in identifying issues the village wants addressed.

October 15, 1998 - (AP) The Chicago Bears should play their NFL home games at the White Sox's home park, in the view of Mayor Richard Daley.
Daley is offering city funds to remodel Comiskey Park to accommodate pro football.
Bears officials, who said they didn't like the Comiskey idea, have been talking with Elk Grove Village about building a new stadium in the northwestern suburb to replace their home at Soldier Field in downtown Chicago. The town will hold a referendum on a new stadium in April.

BEARS CONSIDERING RENOVATED SOLDIER FIELD
May 6, 1999
Copyright 1999 MediaVentures
The Chicago Bears have asked a local architect to look into renovating Solider Field. While the Bears have said they want a new stadium, they have also said they want to build on the city's lakefront. Chicago Mayor Richard Daley opposes a lakefront location and reports suggest that as the Bears have explored the lake area, they have come to agree with the mayor that it may not be possible to build there.
Instead of moving elsewhere, the Bears have hired an architect who has designed some of the lakefront's most impressive buildings and asked him to create a new look for the venue. The move does not mean the Bears have abandoned plans for a new stadium, but that they are willing to consider options in order to be on the lake if possible.
Where the Bears and Daley part company is whether the team should have a stadium on the lakefront at all. Daley would like to see a new stadium near Comiskey Park where the infrastructure exists to handle traffic. On game days, Lake Shore Drive, which passes the stadium, is choked with traffic. Daley would also like to raze Soldier Field to make room for festival space. Still, if the Bears prefer a renovated Soldier Field, Daley is willing to consider the plan.

May 13, 1999
Copyright 1999 MediaVentures
One day after word leaked out that Chicago Mayor Richard Daley was considering a site east of the Dan Ryan Expressway on the city's south side for a new Bears' stadium, Daley quickly moved to deny the reports. The idea was heavily opposed by area residents who would lose their homes to make way for the stadium. Daley again said his goal is to build a new stadium near Comiskey Park, a site the Bears do not favor. The team is considering a major renovation of Soldier Field

BEARS HOPE TO STRIKE STADIUM DEAL BY FALL
May 20, 1999
Copyright 1999 MediaVentures
The Chicago Bears hope to strike a deal for the renovation of Soldier Field by this fall and have the work done in under two years. The Bears, which had been lobbying for a new stadium, are now planning for a renovation of Soldier Field to keep the team on the city's lakefront. Mayor Richard Daley is open to the renovation idea, but if a new stadium is built, he would like to see it near Comiskey Park on the city's south side.
Financing details have not been discussed, but the city earlier pledged $60 million with another $38 million in state funds. If a deal were complete by fall, it could be acted upon by the state legislature during its veto session, if necessary.
The Bears have hired an architect who has designed some of the lakefront's most impressive buildings and asked him to create a new look for the venue. The move does not mean the Bears have abandoned plans for a new stadium, but that they are willing to consider options in order to be on the lake if possible.

BEARS FIND WAY TO BOOST CAPACITY, WHILE RETAINING STADIUM'S STYLE
May 27, 1999
Copyright 1999 MediaVentures
An architect considering ways to renovate Solider Field in Chicago has given the Bears a design that retains the colonnades that make the building unique while increasing the revenue potential of the stadium. Even then, Bears officials note it would cost more to renovate the stadium than to build a new one. For that reason, they have not abandoned the idea of building a new stadium. While the stadium work might cost more, the cost of infrastructure work, including parking, would be much less.
The Bears gave few details about the design, but said the field kept its north-south configuration and increased the number of seats between the 40 yard lines to 60% of total seats from the current 40%.
The team wants to come to an agreement with the city this year so construction can start in 2000. The work could be complete by 2002, but not without having the team play elsewhere for at least one season. There are several potential locations, but all would cost the team revenue because luxury suites would not be available. Attendance could also drop if the new location was considered by fans to be too difficult a drive.

CHICAGO MAYOR GIVES NOD TO SOLDIER FIELD RENOVATION
July 8, 1999
Copyright 1999 MediaVentures
The Chicago Bears and Mayor Richard Daley appear to be in agreement on a design to renovate Soldier Field. After searching the suburbs for a possible new home, the Bears brought in architect Dirk Lohan to come up with a design for a renovated venue. Daley says based on what he has seen, he is "very impressed."
The design meets the Bears' need for putting more seats along the sidelines and seems to meet the mayor's design considerations. Other issues remain outstanding, but both sides say they are continuing to talk out their concerns.
No price has been put on the renovation which would be completed by 2002. The team would have to find another stadium in which to play for one season. Daley has earlier suggested he would provide $60 million in city money and $38 million in state funds toward a renovation program. Bears officials say they hope to have a plan to put before the legislature this fall.

BEARS FACE $100 MILLION SHORTFALL IN RENOVATION FUNDS
July 29, 1999
Copyright 1999 MediaVentures
The Chicago Bears need more than $100 million to make their $400 million plan to renovate Soldier Field a reality and it hopes Illinois and the City of Chicago will be willing to help out. The Bears gave up plans to build a new stadium and have worked to come up with a plan for Solider Field that would please Mayor Richard Daley and meet its revenue needs. So far city and state officials have had praise for the design.
But the cost of underground parking garages and tunnel connections on the prime lake front land make the redesign expensive and the team hopes the city and state will be willing to chip in for the infrastructure costs. State officials have said they won't spend tax money on sports venues. Daley earlier indicated willingness to spend nearly $100 million, but the money he previously pledged has been reallocated. If the mayor renews the pledge, and if the Bears invest $175 million, the deal is still $127 million short. The stadium renovation alone is said to be $300 million.
An architect considering ways to renovate Solider Field in Chicago has given the Bears a design that retains the colonnades that make the building unique while increasing the revenue potential of the stadium. Even then, Bears officials note it would cost more to renovate the stadium than to build a new one.
The Bears have given few details about the design, but said the field kept its north-south configuration and increased the number of seats between the 40 yard lines to 60% of total seats from the current 40%.
The team wants to come to an agreement with the city this year so construction can start in 2000. The work could be complete by 2002, but not without having the team play elsewhere for at least one season.

BEARS NOT OUT OF THE WOODS YET
September 2, 1999
Copyright 1999 MediaVentures
The Chicago Bears' plan to renovate Soldier Field is not out of the woods yet as the team tries to reduce the cost to affordable levels. The Bears, which earlier hoped to build a new stadium, switched directions and have been looking for a way of renovating their stadium. The move was made primarily to please Mayor Richard Daley and other officials because public money will be needed for the project.
Daley has acknowledged that the current plan would cost more than $400 million - or about what it would cost to build a new suburban stadium. That price does include major infrastructure work to improve traffic along the lake front. Daley says solving the traffic snarls is high on his list of priorities.
Based on what the team is expected to pledge and what city and state officials have offered in the past, the Bears are $100 million short of reaching the $400 million goal. Either more funds must be found or the project must be reduced to make the renovation program workable.

BEARS CLOSE TO NEW DESIGN ON SOLDIER FIELD RENOVATION
September 23, 1999
Copyright 1999 MediaVentures
Faced with a stadium that is nearly twice as long as it is wide, the Chicago Bears are working to make a renovated Soldier Field profitable while keeping the character of the historic building. The plan now calls for keeping the building's distinctive shell, but changing the interior to offer wide concourses with specialty stores and restaurants designed to increase concession sales.
The field would be shifted 20 feet eastward with luxury suites arranged in four decks in the center of the field. Club seats, averaging 70 feet from the playing field, would offer not only a view of the field, but also of nearby Lake Michigan. Grandstand seats would be brought forward, nearly over the field, and a Grandstand Club lounge would offer heat lamps where fans could warm themselves. The northern end of the stadium would be opened to provide views of downtown.
The changes would keep capacity at about the current 66,950, but 12,000 of those seats would have premium prices either as club seats or as part of luxury suites. About 40% of the remaining seats would be in the end zones.
The city and team are still negotiating on who will pay for the work. The NFL is prepared to give the team a $150 million loan from its new stadium fund. Seat licenses are also being considered by the team.

BEARS ASKED TO MAKE SOLIDER FIELD DESIGN SUITABLE FOR SMALLER EVENTS
September 30, 1999
Copyright 1999 MediaVentures
While the Chicago Bears want to pack a remodeled Soldier Field with 70,000 screaming fans, Chicago Mayor Richard Daley wants the venue to just as easily accommodate small concerts or soccer matches. He has asked the Bears to incorporate into their new design some way of moving walls or dividing the stadium so it could be appropriate for groups as small as 15,000.
The Bears are working on plans to renovate the venue while keeping its distinctive architecture. Current plans call for virtually gutting the stadium and reworking the interior. City support of the project is important because public funds will be needed for the work. The Bears hope to present a plan in a few weeks.

NFL EXPECTED TO APPROVE STADIUM LOAN FOR CHICAGO
October 19, 2000
Copyright 2000 MediaVentures
NFL owners will discuss loaning money from their stadium fund to the Chicago Bears when they meet Oct. 31 in Atlanta. Commissioner Paul Tagliabue said that barring surprises, he would expect the loan to be approved. The team is expected to ask for about $100 million.
The Bears and the City of Chicago are working on an agreement for a fast-track, 18-month renovation of Soldier Field that will include the complete rebuilding of the stadium's interior and force the team to play in another venue for one season. The total project cost will be $500 million, including 3,100 underground parking spaces, 2,500 above ground spaces, and an access road costing $150 million. The stadium itself is a $350 million project. Final details of the financing must still be completed, but the Illinois Sports Facilities Authority will invest money from greater than expected earnings from an existing hotel tax. The Bears will fund $300 million with the help of the loan from the NFL. Some of the Bears' money is expected to come from the sale of seat licenses. The state's General Assembly must approve use of the extra tax revenue for the project.

October 21, 1999
Copyright 1999 MediaVentures
The initial plans for renovation of Soldier Field for the Chicago Bears is too high, according to Mayor Richard Daley. The Bears have been working on a plan to renovate the stadium while keeping its historic architecture facade intact. Daley, who had pushed for the renovation, now says the cost is too high and perhaps a site should be found for a new venue.

BEARS GET STADIUM LOAN
November 2, 2000
Copyright 2000 MediaVentures
NFL owners meeting in Atlanta have approved a $100 million stadium loan for the Chicago Bears. The money will be used for renovation to Soldier Field. The team's current lease goes through 2004.
The team is talking with city officials about an 18-month plan to renovate the stadium. If the plan is accepted, the Bears would have to find a temporary place to play for at least one season.
The total project cost will be $500 million, including 3,100 underground parking spaces, 2,500 above ground spaces, and an access road costing $150 million. The stadium itself is a $350 million project. Final details of the financing must still be completed, but the Illinois Sports Facilities Authority will invest money from greater than expected earnings from an existing hotel tax. The Bears will fund $300 million with the help of the $100 million loan from the NFL. Some of the Bears' money is expected to come from the sale of seat licenses. The state's General Assembly must approve use of the extra tax revenue for the project.

XFL SIGNS LEASE FOR SOLDIER FIELD
November 9, 2000
Copyright 2000 MediaVentures
The XFL Enforcers have signed a lease for use of Soldier Field at a the greater of $200,000 per game or 12% of gross revenue. The team is part of a new football league created by the World Wrestling Federation and NBC that begins play next year. Concession and parking revenue will also go to the Chicago Parks District, which operates the stadium.
The team has sold 3,500 season tickets so far and hopes to draw 20,000 fans per game.

Monday November 27, 2000
Bears face 4th and long on approval for stadium Bears face 4th and long on approval for stadium
By John Patterson Daily Herald State Government Writer
SPRINGFIELD - As suburban lawmakers prepare to head back to Springfield for what is expected to be a hectic final three days in the fall session, they are expressing growing concerns about the Chicago Bears' plans for a new, $587 million Soldier Field.
Interviews with nearly three dozen suburban legislators found few members likely to vote for the stadium deal. Those in opposition said they simply don't believe Bears officials when they say the deal must be done now.
"I'm very suspicious about things that are given to us at the last minute and said to be of an emergency nature," said state Rep. Douglas Hoeft, an Elgin Republican.
On Nov. 15, Bears executives unveiled their plans for a new stadium. The $587 million project would essentially gut the current stadium but leave intact its historic colonnades. Inside the shell, a $365 million stadium would be built. In addition, $147 million would be spent for aboveground parking, park land, and other infrastructure work, and $75 million would go for underground parking.
To make this happen, the Bears need the legislature to allow the team to have access to money from a special hotel/motel tax imposed in Chicago. That tax was created to pay for Comiskey Park. Bears executives and Chicago leaders say it is bringing in enough money for both stadiums.
The timing crunch comes from the fact that the Bears want immediate action and the legislature was already two days into its six-day fall session when the plan was announced. Bears officials immediately began meeting behind closed doors with legislators in hopes of winning passage during the fall session.
Time, however, is running out for the Bears. The session resumes Tuesday and is scheduled to adjourn Thursday. And many legislators said they feel no need to rush a vote.
In fact, several legislators said they believe the Bears manufactured the sense of urgency surrounding this deal.
"It's an artificial deadline and trumped up to get us to act," said state Rep. Jack Franks, a Woodstock Democrat.
But the proposal has the support of several key legislative leaders and Gov. George Ryan. House Republican Leader Lee Daniels of Elmhurst and Senate President James "Pate" Philip, a Wood Dale Republican, support the stadium plan.
Daniels said the key to success is Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley delivering "yes" votes from the more than 30 legislators from Chicago. If they all vote for the plan, Daniels said downstate and some suburban members would be more likely to support it. "I know I would," Daniels said.
For many legislators, the concern is how the deal would look to the public. Those who represent areas outside Chicago said they have little to gain but perhaps much to lose politically from voting for the stadium deal.
"I don't know what the incentive is for legislators outside of the Chicago area to vote for this," said state Rep. Jim Durkin, a Westchester Republican. "We've been blindsided in the past in the (fall) session."
The fall session has been known for its political shenanigans, particularly in election years. Convening for just a few days after the election results are known, fall sessions have included members voting themselves pay raises and extracting political revenge on their enemies.
This dubious history is why many members approach the Bears stadium deal with caution.
"I don't think anybody is opposed to the idea, it's the perception of the issue," said state Rep. Brent Hassert, a Lemont Republican.
The Bears argue that the sense of urgency is legitimate. If the legislature doesn't take immediate action, Bears executives say a $100 million loan approved by the National Football League to help pay for the project will be jeopardized. When the Bears won approval of the loan, it was based on a very specific timetable for when the stadium would open, said Scott Hagel, a Bears spokesman.
The NFL has told the Bears that the team's final two games of the 2001 season will be on the road, as will the first two games of the 2003 season.
The intent is to give the Bears an early start on construction and a few extra weeks to put finishing touches on the new stadium. The Bears would play the 2002 season elsewhere, likely in college stadiums either in Evanston, Champaign or South Bend, Ind.
If the legislature delays action until the start of its spring session in January, the timetable is thrown off and the loan might be jeopardized, Hagel said.
"If we get a favorable vote, the wheels go into motion immediately," he said. Meetings with city planners and historic preservation officials have been scheduled for early December.
However, many suburban legislators said they are not swayed by this urgency. State Rep. Robert Biggins, an Elmhurst Republican, said the NFL loan is the Bears' problem. The legislature needs to focus on the taxes involved and make sure the deal is fair.
Also detracting from the sense of urgency is the Bears' record with stadium deals. For nearly 30 years the Bears have proposed plans, including relocations to various suburbs and some plans for leaving Illinois altogether. In 1986, the Bears announced that the team was definitely leaving Soldier Field. In 1987, the Bears demanded a decision on a new city stadium with 60 days.
"There always seems to be some kind of emergency," said state Sen. Thomas Walsh, a La Grange Park Republican. "But my phone isn't ringing off the hook with people telling me to vote for the Bears."
Daily Herald political writer Eric Krol contributed to this report.

BEARS PROPOSE STADIUM REHAB
November 16, 2000
Copyright 2000 MediaVentures
The Chicago Bears have laid out a formal plan for the $587 million renovation of Solider Field that requires no tax increase, but will include personal seat licenses and even a few million dollars for the White Sox to upgrade Comiskey Park. If all goes as planned, the job would be done by 2003. The team would play one season in another venue.
The stadium work itself would cost $365 million and would result in a 63,000-seat venue that would keep the historic columns that provide the entrance to the current venue. Most of the rest of the stadium would be changed. The venue would have 133 luxury suites and 8,600 club seats. All of the suites would be located on one side of the stadium in order to bring seats on the other side closer to the field. The current stadium has 116 suites and no club seating.
The additional funds would be used to build infrastructure for the stadium. That includes a two level underground parking garage and another parking facility with one level underground. The parking facilities would also serve nearby museums.
Funding the stadium work requires help from the state legislature. The legislature must raise the debt ceiling for the Illinois Sports Facilities Authority from $150 million to $387 million. The Authority now oversees only Comiskey Park, home of the White Sox. The Authority gets its funding from an existing 2% hotel tax applying to Chicago only.
The Bears would add the remaining $200 million. Half of that would come from the team while the balance would come from an NFL loan already approved. The team would raise a portion of its money from the sale of personal seat licenses. While the team said the price had not been set, they did say about half of the stadium's seats would be subject to licensing. That would put the average price for a license at nearly $1,700.
Legislative leaders signaled support for the plan, but some downstate legislators held reservations.
In addition to what Chicago Mayor Richard Daley called "significant" rent and a 30-year lease, the team will get all game day revenue from concessions, stadium advertising and luxury suites. The team now only gets suite revenue. The team also plans to sell stadium sponsorship rights, although the Soldier Field name would be incorporated into it.
The deal would also provide $22 million for upgrades to Comiskey Park. In the long term, the White Sox would like to rework the stadium's roof, create a home run porch in right field and build a new entrance to the stadium. The stadium will be the site of Major League Baseball's All-Star game in 2003. The team already announced plans to fund improvements to Comiskey Park through the sale of naming rights to the venue. The remodeling includes relocating 1,500 of the seats in the stadium's highest sections along the foul lines. Bullpens will be relocated to help make room for additional seats. The work will be complete for the 2001 season.
For more information: View the Bears' stadium plans at http://www.chicagobears.com/stadium/general.cfm?cont_id=33687

Bears Won't Sell Soldier Field Name The Associated Press
Friday, September 28, 2001; 1:09 PM
CHICAGO -- The Chicago Bears have dropped their plan to sell corporate naming rights to Soldier Field in respect to American veterans.
"Is it an economic hit to us? Yes, it is," Bears President Ted Phillips said. "But it makes the project a go and that's the key." Under a restructured stadium deal that salvages a retrofitting project, the Bears will pass on the $300 million naming rights that were in the original contract. Without the team's agreement, Mayor Richard M. Daley had threatened to back out of the deal that will give the Bears the new stadium they have sought for 30 years.
"Soldier Field is the only name for this stadium. Soldier Field will always be," Daley said at a news conference Friday at the lakefront stadium. He was joined by Bears' officials and several veterans.
The original deal allowed the state of Illinois to keep a portion of the city's share of state income taxes if the Chicago hotel tax failed to grow annually by 5 percent, enough to retire $399 million in stadium bonds. The new deal defers interest payments for two years, avoiding a local tax bailout as the city's airline, convention and tourism industries recover from the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks in New York and Washington. With city revenues declining because of the worsening economy, there had been speculation that Daley would cancel the project that has been criticized because a new seating bowl would dwarf the stadium's historic colonnades. But the mayor determined that Chicago needs a massive public-works project and the approximately 1,000 jobs that would come with it.
Veterans who had feared "commercial desecration" of the stadium rejoiced. "It's a great victory for veterans and taxpayers," said veterans advocate and former state treasurer Patrick Quinn. "A private corporation has been stopped from taking over the name of a public war memorial at one of the most sensitive times in our history." Phillips said the Bears have "always understood how important the symbolism of Soldier Field is. We've always had a deep understanding and the utmost respect for all the veterans who have given their lives for America."

Monday October 22 5:15 PM ET Bears to Play 2002 Home Games in Urbana-Champaign
Bears to Play 2002 Home Games in Urbana-Champaign

LAKE FOREST, Illinois (Reuters) - The NFL Chicago Bears will play their 2002 home games at the University of Illinois' Memorial Stadium, while their Soldier Field ground undergoes a $587 million face-lift, the club said on Monday.
The Memorial Stadium, in Urbana-Champaign, has a seating capacity of 70,904, making it a more appealing choice for the Bears than Northwestern's closer-by Ryan Field, which seats just 47,000.
``We are excited about the opportunity to play Bears football in Central Illinois in 2002,'' Bears president and CEO Ted Phillips said.
``Our fans have not only made the Bears an important fabric of the City of Chicago, but also an important piece of our great state.''
Season ticket holders will not be required to buy tickets for the 2002 season to retain their seating priority when the Bears reopen their refitted Soldier Field stadium in 2003.
The renovation, which is being partly financed through the sale of $399 million of bonds, will give the lakefront stadium a boost in sideline seats, two giant video screens and improved concessions and restrooms.
The Bears began as a franchise downstate in Decatur, Illinois, in 1920 shortly after team founder George Halas graduated from the University of Illinois in 1918.
The team was originally known as the Decatur Staleys and had the familiar team colors of orange and blue. In 1921, Halas moved the team to Chicago, and after playing as the Staleys for one year, the team became known as the Bears in 1922.

Phillips: Nothing can stop Soldier Field rehab now
By Liam Ford
Tribune staff reporter
November 5, 2001
Dismissing the possibility that the Soldier Field reconstruction could be derailed by critics of the plan, a top Chicago Bears team official said today the $606 million overhaul is proceeding on schedule despite the recent delay starting the National Football League's 2001-02 season.
About $90 million in contracts have been awarded so far, Bears President Ted Phillips said following a speech to the City Club of Chicago. He scoffed at the idea the project was threatened by two pending lawsuits, saying too much has been done to stop it now.
"Let me remind the vocal minority that oppose this plan: This project is moving forward," Phillips said in the speech. "It is not something that can be turned on and off with a switch. Design plans are virtually complete. Millions of dollars have been expended. All the financing is in place. And work ... is already well under way at the site."
When work is finished in September 2003, the current stadium will be replaced with a 61,500-seat bowl set inside the 1924 colonnade of the original Soldier Field.
Dubbed the "Lakefront Redevelopment Project" by its backers, the project also will add what they say will be 17 acres of green space around the stadium, and will replace existing surface parking with two garages, including an underground garage at the north end of the field.
Construction on the actual field is scheduled to begin after the Bears end their season early next year.
Because the team now is on a winning streak and the NFL season was delayed by the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, some have questioned whether the construction schedule might be thrown off.
But in an interview following his speech, Phillips said the schedule already had factored in the possibility of a delay in postseason construction. The work of tearing out the old seats at the stadium is scheduled to begin a week after the last regular season game, now set for Jan. 6, but can be postponed until after the last possible playoff game Jan. 27 if the Bears continue to do well, Phillips said.
Erma Tranter, president of Friends of the Parks, plaintiff in one of the lawsuits challenging the project, refuted Phillips' remarks, saying there is still time to build a new Bears venue elsewhere in the city.
"We believe that's there's time to do a new stadium for the next 100 years, and which won't harm the lakefront" or destroy the historic status of the present Soldier Field, Tranter said in an interview this afternoon. "Our intent has always been to protect the lakefront from unnecessary development."
Seats from the old stadium are available for purchase, though season-ticket holders are not guaranteed their seats. The Parkways Foundation, which benefits the Chicago Park District, the owner of Soldier Field, is selling them through a special Web site, or by calling the foundation at 312-742-4816.
Besides the demolition of the 1938 Chicago Park District administration building, work already has started to relocate utilities around the site to accommodate the renovations. So far, contracts have been awarded for some of the structural steel needed to build the new stadium, as well as for demolition and concrete work, Phillips said.

December 17, 2001
The $606 Million Renovation of Soldier Field
Soldier Field is old but majestic, situated near the edge of Lake Michigan and easily identified by its classical colonnades that rise above the east and west stands. There may be no other place on earth that can conjure images of both ancient Greece and the National Football League, Demosthenes and Dick Butkus. That and this report from The Washington Post's William Gildea
Soldier Field is much more than a stadium where the Chicago Bears play football. "It's a spectacle place," said Studs Terkel, author and Chicagoan. "I think of it as a Chicago landmark. A 'whatnot' -- it can hold anything, rallies, football. To me, it's Dempsey-Tunney. I was there. I was a kid. I was for Dempsey. We were kids from the street and he was the fighter from the streets." That was the "long count" fight of 1927, in which Gene Tunney beat Jack Dempsey. It was witnessed by 104,000.
Soldier Field always has meant crowds, enormous crowds: crowds of 110,000 to 120,000 for Notre Dame football games of the Knute Rockne era; 115,000 for a high school football game in 1937; 150,000 for a wartime visit by President Roosevelt; 260,000 for a religious celebration in 1954. But differently, the vast, 77-year-old structure is a monument to American fighting men and women, defenders of the country.
During late-season Bears games, when rain or sleet or snow (or all three) may fall and wind screams off the lake, and the temperature is apt to hover near zero, the fans who fill the place (downsized to just short of 67,000) may feel as if they are spending three hours in cold storage. Yet there is no more sacred place where games are played than Soldier Field.
As a result, a $606 million plan to build a new stadium set within the historic walls of Soldier Field -- but rising higher than the rows of Doric colonnades, in effect, dwarfing them -- has produced more anguish and protest than, perhaps, the building of any stadium in the country. The Bears and the Chicago Park District, which operates Soldier Field, lead the support for the plan. But opponents include historic preservationists, architecture critics, civic watchdogs and untold numbers who regard the stadium with a deep respect and wish the Bears could find some other home or some other way to refurbish their home. Nevertheless, heavy equipment is ready for use starting in January, and the Bears are scheduled to play their 2002 season at the University of Illinois. The new stadium at Soldier Field is scheduled to open Sept. 28, 2003. That and this report from The Washington Post's William Gildea
"It's illegal. It violates a city ordinance, the waterfront protection ordinance," said Erma Tranter, executive director of the Chicago advocacy group called Friends of the Parks. "It's 16 stories tall. The plan was the Bears' plan with the support of the city and all public bodies, their approval but a rubber-stamp approval without public discussion. We feel the stadium is going to be so mocked, an embarrassment to the city. It would desecrate the lakefront and the national historic monument," the current stadium as a whole.
Tranter's group clings to two lawsuits, both problematic: one already has been thrown out of court but is being appealed in state supreme court; a hearing on whether to throw out the second suit is scheduled for Dec. 20. But the fight is imperative, said Tranter, pointing to, among other things, how the Chicago Tribune's architecture critic has depicted the plan for the stadium within the stadium walls, as "an architectural train wreck."
The new arrangement also has been described as a giant egg in a giant eggcup. At risk is Soldier Field's national landmark status, with such structures as the Empire State Building and the Alamo.
A walk around the place as it still is, on an atypically balmy Sunday last month when the Bears played the arch rival Green Bay Packers, evoked a myriad of feelings, from patriotism inspired by an inscription on the creamy concrete wall ("Dedicated to the Men and Women of the Armed Services") to hunger from an aroma of bratwurst cooking in the parking lots. Stepping inside revealed at once a grandeur and a gloaming, the feeling that you're below decks in a massive ship with portraits of athletic heroes stretching across the walls and across a century, in the half-light of a concourse crowded with concession stands and stores and rows of portable toilets. That and this report from The Washington Post's William Gildea
Restroom facilities in Soldier Field have long been notoriously inadequate.
"I've got it down to a science. Go before the game," said Tom Huxtable, the president of a Bears fans group. "The lines can be so long you need a ticket number."
Former Bear Mike Adamle said that playing at Soldier Field is distinctly Chicago because of the colonnades, "and the wind, we always felt, gave us an advantage." But he was quick to point out drawbacks.
"I can remember kneeling before a game to say the Lord's Prayer and raw sewage floated by," he said. "As Chicago Bears fans, we deserve a better place, but one that retains the character of the old palace."
About $100 million has been spent on various improvements or additions over the years, including almost $30 million before the 1994 World Cup, according to Tranter. Now, many who love the team and love the place and want the team and the place to remain together would settle for just a few more creature comforts that would not disrespect the stadium as a monument. Soldier Field blends almost perfectly with the architecture in the area.
"I love the stadium the way it is. I love the 'ancient' look of the colonnades and the history behind them," said Pat Quinn, a Bears fan with unusually long hair -- he has vowed not to cut it until the team makes the playoffs. "But I also understand the need for improved accommodations for both the players and the fans."
"I've never really had a bad seat," Huxtable said. "Some of the newer stadiums, you sit up high you need oxygen. A lot of people are cynical [about the new stadium] because they think it will triple the value of the Bears for the McCaskey family when they sell it, which a lot of fans are all for."
Another staunch fan, Ray Picil, of Peoria, said that "the only complaint I've heard has been about the new fees" -- personal seat licenses, in which fans pay for the right to pay for their seat. PSLs and luxury suites, those are concepts that Tranter and others find abhorrent. At least the Bears and city fathers have backed off the idea that the name of the stadium would be sold to a corporate sponsor. That and this report from The Washington Post's William Gildea.