Chicago: Bears unveil plans for new stadium

The Chicago Bears want to demolish Soldier Field and replace it with a new domed state-of-the-art stadium. Including the necessary infrastructure measures, an investment of around 4 billion euros would be needed.

Soldier Field will be 100 years old in October and has been home to the Chicago Bears NFL team since 1971. However, as more than 20 years have passed since the last extensive modernisation and renovation, the franchise has long wanted a new, modern venue. The city of Chicago had actually promised to extensively renovate the venerable venue and spend up to €2 billion on it - provided the Bears saw their future in the city centre. However, they had recently pushed for their own construction project and had already acquired land in Arlington Heights, almost 50 kilometres north-west of the city centre. By the end of 2022, the Bears stated: “The only potential project the Chicago Bears are considering for a new stadium is Arlington Park.” Now it’s back to square one and the presentation of a joint project with the city.