Soldier Field and its owners, the Chicago Park District, have long held a position of significant leverage. They knew the Chicago Bears didn’t have the capital necessary to build their own stadium and used that to do whatever they wanted regarding Soldier’s upkeep. Things took a major turn over the past few years after the Bears purchased the Churchill Downs property in Arlington Heights. Now they are on a course to build a brand new stadium there, meaning there is a likelihood they will leave Soldier Field for the first time since 1971.
Even then, the CPD and the city itself didn’t seem overly concerned. If the Bears weren’t going to use the stadium, somebody else surely would, right? Well, that assumption may have proven premature. The Chicago White Sox were already on course to build a stadium of their own, and the Cubs aren’t leaving Wrigley Field. That left the Chicago Fire the most likely candidate to take over if the Bears left. Those hopes have abruptly died. According to various sources, the Fire now plans to build a new stadium of their own in The 78 in the South Loop.
Chicago stadium news: The Fire have unveiled plans for a privately-funded, 22,000-seat stadium in The 78 — where the White Sox explored a new development — to open in 2028. A major project with potential ripples for the White Sox and Bears in their respective site explorations. pic.twitter.com/bVCibjYqla
— Chris Emma (@CEmma670) June 3, 2025
This is more than just a stadium.
It's a space for all fans to come together and celebrate the beautiful game in the heart of our city. #cf97 pic.twitter.com/Z82x7siy26
— Chicago Fire FC (@ChicagoFire) June 3, 2025
Soldier Field has no credible options left.
The stadium is a historical landmark, having been around for decades. However, it’s also expensive. The average cost of upkeep is $35.2 million. Thanks to previous renovations, taxpayers are still on the hook for almost $630 million. Expectations were that the Bears would help pay for that by remaining the building’s primary tenant. Three or four years from now, that will no longer be the case. Now, the Fire is out of the question too. There is no way hosting concerts and other activities in the summer will pay for Soldier Field alone. The Chicago Park District may be screwed. In all honesty, this feels like a dose of karma for the way they’ve treated the Bears for years. The McCaskeys never wanted to leave. They merely asked for basic respect in efforts to upgrade the building. The CPD brushed them off.