What happens to Soldier Field if the Bears leave? Experts debate future of Chicago landmark
What will Soldier Field become without the Bears?
What happens to Soldier Field if the Chicago Bears leave? The Chicago Park District has potential answers for the future. The Bears said there is not one viable option in the city for their future home. Soldier Field also lost when it came to hosting World Cup games. Bret Buganski shows you some potential solutions to the Soldier Field problem.
CHICAGO - The future of Soldier Field is becoming one of Chicago's biggest unanswered questions if the Chicago Bears leave as the primary tenant.
What we know
While the Bears continue weighing options in Arlington Heights and northwest Indiana, city officials, architects, economists and preservation advocates are increasingly discussing what happens to the lakefront stadium if the team leaves.
The historic venue has already undergone major transformations over the past century, including a controversial renovation completed in 2003 that preserved the iconic colonnades while creating the modern bowl that exists today.
"It is a great asset for our city," said Brian Gladstein, executive director of Friends of the Parks. "It has been here before the Bears took over being a tenant, and it will be here past whatever happens with the Bears' situation."
But experts say Soldier Field faces significant challenges in the modern sports economy.
"I think the short answer to that is no," University of Chicago Harris School of Public Policy professor Justin Marlow said when asked whether Soldier Field remains a viable NFL stadium.
Marlow said today's NFL teams are increasingly looking beyond football.
"It's as much about the ability for a team to control the surrounding area, for it to essentially be a real estate developer, as it is the quality of the stadium itself," he said.
Modern stadium projects often include hotels, restaurants, entertainment districts and year-round attractions that generate revenue far beyond game days.
"That's really become the new norm," Marlow said.
A vision for a reimagined Soldier Field
Architect Edward Peck believes Soldier Field still has a future, but not necessarily in its current form.
"I think it really has to be repositioned. It just can't stay as it is," Peck said.
Peck's firm helped develop a concept for a reimagined Soldier Field in 2024.
The proposal would build a new stadium south of the existing structure, create a landscaped pedestrian bridge over DuSable Lake Shore Drive and cover nearby railroad tracks with an entertainment district featuring restaurants and public gathering space.
Peck said many of those ideas could still work even if the Bears leave.
"I think with or without the Bears, Soldier Field will be greatly helped if they actually develop this sort of bridge and this landscape plaza that connects to the stadium," he said.
If Soldier Field loses its primary tenant, Peck envisions a smaller venue with roughly 40,000 to 45,000 seats that could host concerts, soccer matches, rugby and other large events.
"By reducing that capacity, you actually increase it by making it a luxurious experience," he said.
Peck warned that failing to modernize the stadium could leave taxpayers responsible for an increasingly expensive asset.
"If we don't do anything, it's just not going to generate the revenue, and it's going to be sort of a declining asset and a real financial burden," he said.
The lakefront debate
Not everyone agrees with expanding development around Soldier Field.
Friends of the Parks supports improvements to the stadium itself but opposes projects that would convert public lakefront space into private development.
"Our lakefront was developed by the founders of our city to be forever open, clear and free," Gladstein said.
The organization points to the Public Trust Doctrine, a legal principle requiring the state to preserve lakefront property for public use.
Friends of the Parks previously fought plans for a George Lucas museum south of Soldier Field. The project was ultimately built in Los Angeles.
"If we allow the Bears to build around their stadium, not only does that take away park space, it sets up a really dangerous precedent that privatization is accepted, that our lakefront is for sale," Gladstein said.
Still, he does not believe losing the Bears would doom the stadium.
"It is not the end of Soldier Field. I just think it's another chapter," he said.
Gladstein said future improvements should focus on better pedestrian access, bike connections and making Soldier Field fit more naturally within the broader Museum Campus.
Political leaders preparing for the possibility
Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson continues to support the city's proposal to keep the Bears at Soldier Field.
"I still believe that that is the only plan right now," Johnson told FOX Chicago.
The mayor has argued the team's proposed lakefront stadium plan would have kept the Bears in Chicago while requiring the franchise to cover most construction costs.
Meanwhile, State Sen. Bill Cunningham, D-Chicago said Illinois leaders may eventually need to consider what comes next if the Bears leave.
"There is still over $400 million left in bond payments on the Soldier Field renovation that are scheduled to be paid off between now and 2033," Cunningham said.
Cunningham called Soldier Field "a jewel" and an important economic driver for both Chicago and Illinois.
"If the Bears do leave, I do think we have to have a conversation about what's next," Cunningham said. "What do we need to do to keep Soldier Field as a viable concert venue?"
He pointed to a Chicago Park District proposal that would improve traffic flow around the stadium and invest roughly $135 million in upgrades, including sound systems, lighting and locker rooms.
What's next
For now, Soldier Field's future remains tied to decisions that have not yet been made.
The Bears continue pursuing stadium options outside Chicago while Illinois lawmakers weigh potential legislation aimed at keeping the team in the state.
If the franchise ultimately leaves, Chicago will face a difficult choice: preserve Soldier Field largely as it exists today, invest in a major redevelopment or create an entirely new vision for one of the city's most iconic pieces of lakefront property.
One thing appears certain.
Whether it remains an NFL stadium or evolves into something entirely different, the debate over Soldier Field's future is already underway.
The Source: This story contains reporting from Fox Chicago's Bret Buganski.