Desperate bid to prevent $5bn Bears relocation launched as domed Soldier Field revealed
The Chicago Bears appear to be heavily leaning toward the possibility of moving across state lines into northwest Indiana.
The historic NFL franchise announced their intention to cut ties with Soldier Field and could uproot the team to Wolf Lake in Hammond, Indiana.
This move was proposed after plans to break ground on a $5 billion redevelopment project in Arlington Heights stalled due to a standoff over negotiations around the site.
Four locations entered the bidding war to land the Bears, including Gary and the 48,000 population city of Portage, while the state of Iowa even made a late proposal to try and lure the bears in their direction.
Local architectural firm’s efforts to sway Bears’ mind
But Chicago-based architectural firm Edward Peck Design has proposed some concepts of a major overhaul to Soldier Field and its surrounding area along the lakefront in a mammoth effort to convince the NFL team to stay in Illinois.
In a press release sent to Fox 32 Chicago on March 19, the firm outlined that the standout feature of their design is the addition of a translucent ETFE canopy.
According to the designers, the reason behind making the roof transparent is so that the stadium would be suitable to host events in any weather, including concerts and conventions as well as football games.
The Bears wouldn’t be the only team in the NFL to incorporate a state-of-the-art venue with ETFE, with the Minnesota Vikings using it to cover 60 percent of U.S. Bank Stadium.
Bears team president Kevin Warren was in Minnesota at the time and helped build their stadium.
The firm also proposes expanding Soldier Field – the oldest and smallest stadium in the league – seating up to a maximum capacity of 72,000, including 1,800 new luxury suites, and 8,700 more in total.
“We’re not looking to be the architect of the next Bears stadium, but everyone that you talk to in Chicago says the Bears should stay,” studio founder Edward Peck told Dezeen.
“They need to stay. This is the heart of Chicago. They’re saying that’s not possible at Soldier Field.
“I have an anonymous client who is a lifetime Bears fan who said, ‘I don’t believe them.'”
Future of Soldier Field in huge jeopardy amid potential relocation
Peck and his team proposed the construction of a deck that would see the addition of an entertainment complex over the railyards and Lake Shore Drive.
The plan is that the decking would house multiple skyscrapers ranging from 50 to 65 storeys and would subsequently generate revenue for both the team and the city of Chicago.
“The concept of decking over Lake Shore Drive and the rail station has been done,” said Peck. “Millennium Park is a result of that.
“And so it’s part of the language of Chicago now, and the future is to start to consider things like that.”
“You have this entertainment district that needs to succeed the other 357 days of the year that there isn’t a football game, right? And so to do that, you have to have a critical mass of people,” Peck added before he went on to highlight some of the potential flaws associated with moving the team out of the city.
“Now they are considering the stadium in Aurora, which is like 30 miles north of the city, and in Indiana, which is like 30 miles southeast of the city – those locations are not going to be able to support it.”
While it is unclear whether the design studio received a specific request to develop the proposal for Soldier Field, Peck’s ambition is to keep the conversation going amid plans to relocate out of state.
“The goal is to open this dialogue and have the Bears be challenged a little bit,” Peck said.
“This was a proof of concept. None of this stuff hasn’t been done before. It’s, think, a creative way of looking at how you can accomplish the Bears’ mission.”
Furthermore, Peck is worried about the potential ramifications of what a relocation would mean for the future of such an iconic stadium, and one of the most historic sporting landmarks in the state.
“The fact is, if you have an enclosed stadium a quarter mile away, or even if it’s in northwest Indiana, it’s going to be taking the winter concerts, take away that revenue,” he added.
“I’m fearful of what this would do to this city.”
The Bears have yet to officially announce their intentions for the future, but they are certainly not short of options, which keeps their fans holding their breath.
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