$10B Bronzeville Lakefront Plan Proposes Bears Stadium, Chicago Site

A $10 billion plan would put a 75,000-seat domed stadium on roughly 100 acres around the former Michael Reese Hospital site in Chicago, developers announced Thursday.

The site is more than double the size of the hospital property itself, which covers 48 acres.

The pitch, branded “Bronzeville Lakefront,” aims to keep the Bears in the city. The Bears did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Quintin Primo of Capri Investments, Scott Goodman of Farpoint Development and Lee Golub of Golub & Co. proposed the plan. “This is about much more than building a stadium or keeping a football team in Chicago,” Primo said in a statement.

Primo added: “We have an extraordinary opportunity to retain one of our city’s most important institutions while directing transformative investment toward South Side communities.”

Developers Stretch 48 Acres to 100

The developers propose an expanded version of the former Michael Reese Hospital property, about 100 acres, as the site for a Bears stadium. So Primo and Scott Goodman of Farpoint Development brought in Lee Golub of Golub & Co., whose adjacent properties doubled the footprint.

The site sits in the Douglas neighborhood. The three developers own adjacent properties in Bronzeville, and the expanded footprint builds on the former hospital property, which is owned by a venture led by Goodman and Primo. They announced the plan at a Nov. 12 news conference held at Olivet Baptist Church.

The developers originally pitched the property at 31st Street and Cottage Grove Avenue as the home of a nearly $4 billion, medical-centered megadevelopment backed by the city. That project has sat at a standstill in the years since, primarily because of a lack of financing.

The stadium is only part of the package. It is meant for major sporting events and concerts, and the plan also includes cultural attractions and public space.

Pastor Chris Harris of Bright Star Church addressed Prairie Shores families directly. “The standard is simple: families should stay in their homes until the new homes are ready,” Harris said.

Plan Would Replace 1,000 Prairie Shores Units

The plan proposes the replacement of about 1,000 Prairie Shores apartment units. As part of the plan, developers have proposed a community benefits agreement for tenant protections.

Public Ownership Anchors the Financing Plan

According to a news release, the financing plan would make the stadium publicly owned and would include substantial contributions from the Bears.

The group also claims to have secured an offer from unspecified “capital partners from global institutions” to buy the Bears’ Arlington Heights site, which the team bought for $200 million in 2023. The aim is to eliminate the possibility of the team relocating to the suburb.

Illinois Sens. Preston and Peters said they will push the issue among state lawmakers as the Illinois General Assembly reconvenes next week. Ald. Lamont Robinson (4th Ward), whose ward includes the former Michael Reese Hospital site, spoke about the proposal.

Robinson said the project’s success depends on protecting existing residents: “But its success must also be measured by how we protect existing residents, ensure meaningful community participation and make certain that the people who live here share in those benefits,” he said.

Johnson’s office did not say whether he backs the plan. A spokesperson said “Chicago is and should remain the home of the Bears”, and that all ideas would be vetted and need community support.

Rival Sites Crowd the Field Before Veto Session

The proposal lands as lawmakers return to Springfield next week for the fall veto session to consider legislation on new funding frameworks for stadiums in the state.

Competing options are in play. Related Midwest pitched its 440-acre former U.S. Steel South Works site last month, where the firm is working on building out a quantum computing campus. The Bears have also considered moving to the team’s Arlington Heights property or to Hammond, Indiana, after the Indiana legislature passed extensive incentives to lure the team just over state lines.

ABC7 Chicago, citing the Daily Herald, reports that Rolling Meadows and Palatine want to be included in overseeing a potential stadium project in neighboring Arlington Heights. The Bears own the old Arlington Racecourse property there. Lawmakers return to Springfield next week for the veto session.