Chicago Bears leaders face a new $10 billion stadium pitch on the site of the former Michael Reese Hospital, WTTW reported on Thursday.
The proposal from GRIT Chicago and Capri Investment Group centers on a 75,000-seat domed stadium on a roughly 100-acre footprint in the Bronzeville neighborhood, NBC Chicago reported. The plan includes hotels, retail outlets, restaurants, parking, and thousands of new housing units at the site and nearby.
Developers also proposed building a new CTA Green Line station and a new Metra station to manage gameday crowds. Friends of the Parks, a Chicago advocacy group, supports the Bronzeville project, according to developers.
The plan requires demolishing six residential buildings, though developers stated work would not begin until current residents are relocated to new housing. As an added incentive, developers offered to purchase the site of the former Arlington International Racecourse from the team.
“We would buy the Bears’ Arlington Heights property if that investment presents an obstacle to considering the Chicago location,” Capri and its partners said.
The stadium would be publicly owned, featuring construction contributions from the team alongside private investment for surrounding portions of the project and public infrastructure funding, according to news.wttw.com.
The Bears previously rejected the Michael Reese site, citing a footprint that was too narrow for their entertainment district vision and expressing safety concerns about nearby railroads.
Developers hope to expand the site’s footprint by connecting it to the lakefront and relocating existing housing. A proposed covered walkway and park area would connect the site directly to the Lake Michigan shoreline west of DuSable Lake Shore Drive.
It remains unclear whether the plan suits the team. Sources close to negotiations told NBC Chicago they remain skeptical of the proposal, noting that talks regarding keeping the team within Illinois remain focused on the Arlington Heights site.
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