Let's ponder. After the Bears purchased land in Chicago suburb Arlington Heights and the rumors began to swirl that they might be planning to move out west at some point in the relatively near future, let's put ourselves in the shoes of Chicago's Mayor. The Bears want to stay at Soldier Field. Expansion isn't an option for the stadium with the lowest seating capacity in the NFL because of how it was built. Is there a tax break or subsidy? There needs to be a better idea.
I have it. There is a dome. A building with no support for a roof. The view of the Chicago skyline is one of the biggest draws of the stadium. A roof will prevent them from moving to the land that they just spent $200 million on. It needs to be even more spaceshipesque.
I don't know if Lightfoot thinks that Arlington Heights is operating in a warmer climate than Chicago. They are not leaving town because of the weather. It's probably the insane traffic on the way there, the lack of good parking options, and the difficulty of getting to it by public transportation. That won't be fixed by a renovation.
No dome will keep the Bears in the city if they follow in the footsteps of every 33 year old Chicagoan who has left the city to live in the burbs. The Bears lease Soldier Field rather than owning it, and they would be able to leave their current lease in 2026, giving them plenty of time to build a new stadium at the old Arlington race tracks.
As the stadium is owned by the Chicago Park District, it is recommended that the city explore the feasibility of renovations for Soldier Field that could include a dome that could cost billions of dollars. The field was last renovated in 2003 and it was so extreme that it was de listed as a national historic landmark.
The Bears played at Wrigley Field before moving to Soldier Field. It is the oldest stadium in the National Football League.
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