Governor J.B. Pritzker and other top Democrats have rejected the Chicago Bears’ proposed new lakefront stadium, which would require taxpayer funding. The proposal includes $2 billion in private funds from the Bears, but it also includes at least $325 million in taxpayer-backed infrastructure improvements. Pritzker said he believes the proposal is not a high priority for legislators and that he is skeptical of it.
Illinois House Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch said that the proposal would fail if put to a vote in the current legislative session, which is scheduled to adjourn on May 24 but is likely to extend into the waning days of May. “I want to say to you publicly what I said to Kevin Warren privately last week. If we were to put this issue on the board for a vote right now, it would fail, and it would fail miserably,” Welch said at a separate press conference in Maywood. “There’s no environment for something like this today. Now, in Springfield, environments change. Will that environment change within the next 30 days? I think that’s highly unlikely.”
Illinois Senate President Don Harmon, D-Oak Park, issued a statement showing he, like Pritzker, was cautious at best. “At first glance, more than $2 billion in private funding is better than zero and a more credible opening offer,” he said. “But there’s an obvious, substantial gap remaining, and I echo the governor’s skepticism.”
The Bears have been seeking a new stadium for several years. They currently play at Soldier Field, which is owned by the Chicago Park District. The Bears have said they are willing to pay for the majority of the cost of a new stadium, but they have also asked for taxpayer funding. The Bears have said they believe a new stadium would be a major economic driver for Chicago and the state of Illinois.
However, some critics have questioned the Bears’ claims about the economic benefits of a new stadium. They have also argued that the Bears should not be asking for taxpayer funding, given that they are a profitable business. It remains to be seen whether the Bears will be able to convince state legislators to approve taxpayer funding for a new stadium.
