The Chicago League Football Team, the Chicago fire, has presented plans to build a $ 650 million football stadium, planned as a midwest-related development anchor, which plans to replace a mainly empty area in the south of the city center’s loop as part of a multi-consumption development.
A contractor for the privately funded outdoor stadium designed by the Gensler architectural firm has not yet been announced. It will have 22,000 places and a field of natural grass. Construction is expected to begin in the fall or early 2026 with the end of spring 2028.
78 is a development of 62 hectares located along the Chicago river between Roosevelt Road, Clark Street and 16th Street. The stadium will occupy approximately nine hectares of the place that was formerly a patio and is currently mostly vacant. The name refers to the 77 existing neighborhoods of Chicago and is planned to be its 78th.
The fire has been owned since 2019 by Joe Mansueto, founder and executive chairman of the Financial Research Firm based in Chicago, Morningsar, which finances the project 100%.
In a podcast on the team’s website, Mansueto said that he believes that sports team owners should fund their stages.
“They are very expensive and expensive to keep but really believe it [the cost] It should be borne by sports team owners. It is there that most of the value is achieved, “he said.
The stadium will be located at 78, a multi-use development planned along the Chicago River.Photo Courtesia related to Midwest and Black Creative
Other projects of the stadium for professional sports teams of Chicago, such as the Chicago Bears de la National Football League, and White Sox of the Major League Baseball, have taken advantage of the public funding for their construction. Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson praised Mansueto for not asking for financing of taxpayers for Chicago Fire Stadium.
“He is willing to put real skin on the game,” Johnson said at a press conference.
The related Midwest forecasts that 78 mixed use will also include restaurants, outdoor meeting spaces, a half -mile from Riverwalk and a residential component that will include affordable homes.
The fire, which previously played in Suburban Bridgeview, Ill., And currently plays Soldier Field, recently opened the Endeavour Performance Field, a new $ 100 million training installation to two miles west of 78 in a 30 -Acres site before the Chicago Housing Authority. The contractor of this project was the construction of Chicago -based pepper and the architect was Crawford Architects.
The related Midwest acquired the property for the 78 in 2016 and has since struggled to find an anchor tenant for the largest development and has sought the companies of Amazon, United Airlines, JP Morgan and Casino before deciding to pursue sports facilities. A new stadium for the White Sox had been mounted for the site, but a $ 1 billion public financing request failed to obtain political support.
The White Sox organization says he has not abandoned the idea of building his own stadium at 78.
“We believe in the view related to the Midwest over 78 and we continue to trust that the location of the river side could serve as the house of the two teams,” said Joe Roti, a spokesman for the White Sox in an email to Enr. “We continue to have talks with Midwest related to the possibilities and opportunities of the site.”
Short Bailey, president of the related Midwest, said in a statement that “the decision of the fire to bring the first specific stadium of football in the city to our place will give rise to a completely new sports district and entertainment that activates more than half a mile from the river.
The Chicago fire is also offering the location of the stadium near public transport and the river as an asset, adding that “there is a parking plan and water taxis”.
