Chicago Exploring Putting Dome on Bears' Soldier Field; May Cost Between $400M-$1.5B

Soldier Field has hosted outdoor games for 100 years, but the city of Chicago is considering turning it into a domed stadium.

The mayor's committee wants the city to explore the feasibility of putting a dome on Soldier Field in order to make it more attractive to potential users.

The cost of the dome is estimated at between $400 million and $1.5 billion.

A new stadium for the Bears is being worked on.

Bears ownership spent $192 million on a purchase agreement for Arlington International Racecourse, which is expected to close in late 2022, or early23.

"Our goal is to chart a path forward that will allow our team to thrive on the field, Chicagoland to prosper from this endeavor and the Bears organization to be ensured a strong future," Bears president and CEO TedPhillips said in a statement. We will always strive to deliver the very best experience for Bears fans. We will keep you up to date on our progress.

The negotiations between the Bears and the city of Chicago seem to be about financing a new stadium or an upgrade to Soldier Field.

The governor said taxpayer money won't be used to build a new stadium.

It's not something we're currently looking at, I haven't had any discussions, neither the city nor the Bears have, so it's not something I'm looking at right now. We are focused on our own fiscal situation.

It doesn't solve the issue that Soldier Field has the smallest stadium capacity in the NFL because it doesn't have a dome.

The oldest stadium in the National Football League is Soldier Field. In 2002 it underwent renovations that cost $632 million and taxpayers paid $432 million.