Will the McCaskeys sell the Bears?

[d_money]

Chicagoans don’t worship deep dish pizza.

 

 

You’re right they don’t but they’ll defend it with their life if someone criticizes it. At least that’s been my experience. But we already have a pizza thread so

Real Chicagoans defend tavern style. Deep Dish is for the suburbanites something something

The only people I know that are interested in eating deep dish are people from out of town (business trips, vacations). National TV perpetuates the myth that every local person eats deep dish 5 times a week, which is so far from the truth.

[Brian707]

I always tell people I meet in say Vegas at a poker table who say they are from Milwaukee, "Ah Chicago's largest Northern suburb" they go on tilt pretty quick.

 

Old people in Europe when stating I'm from Chicago area, still say AL Capone, Sam Giancana, or John Wayne Gacy. Younger people mention Obama or MJ.

[champaignchris]

Mike Florio on WSCR made a great point that I hadn’t thought of before…. The estate taxes due on the Bears when Virginia passes will be astronomical, which is why he thinks the Bears will be sold in the next 5-10 years.

[WrigleyField 22]

https://urbanize.city/chicago/post/one-central-development-bears-transit-hub

 

So this One Central proposal hasn't gotten a ton of traction, but something similar to a proposal like this could make Soldier Field's location an actual asset. I've read some criticism of the "Transit Hub" part of this, mainly that Amtrack, Metra, and CTA aren't going to be incentivized to build rail (or schedule) away from existing hubs. But if the Bears are pursuing partnerships with One Central, maybe there's a future where Soldier Field is actually relatively pedestrian and transit friendly, by connecting the museum campus more to the south loop.

 

For those unaware, One Central is basically a mixed use development that would create new space above the railways just west of Lake Shore Drive.

 

Then you loop in one other proposal that hasn't gotten much traction, https://www.modernmetraelectric.org/, basically a proposal to operate the Metra Electric at CTA like frequency. That 18th street stop is actually the one convenient train stop for the museum campus, except its service isn't frequent enough. But with the right frequency you could shuttle a lot of public transit riders from Millenium Park, not to mention much better service to huge swaths of the south side. Combine the museum campus circulator idea from One Central as well, but add some connections to say, Roosevelt and Union Station as well, and you'd actually have a cohesive and easy Soldier Field accessibility plan (and the rest of the museum campus obviously for the other 355 days a year).

 

Anyways, I love any future Bears stadium plan that doesn't involve public money. So I'm not too attached to the Arlington Heights possibility for that reason alone, but definitely wouldn't mind seeing Soldier Field a little more pedestrian and transit oriented and then keep the team there. Maybe Arlington can develop the rest of the land and leave 80 acres open for a future NFL expansion team :).

[minnesotacubsfan]

https://urbanize.city/chicago/post/one-central-development-bears-transit-hub

 

So this One Central proposal hasn't gotten a ton of traction, but something similar to a proposal like this could make Soldier Field's location an actual asset. I've read some criticism of the "Transit Hub" part of this, mainly that Amtrack, Metra, and CTA aren't going to be incentivized to build rail (or schedule) away from existing hubs. But if the Bears are pursuing partnerships with One Central, maybe there's a future where Soldier Field is actually relatively pedestrian and transit friendly, by connecting the museum campus more to the south loop.

 

For those unaware, One Central is basically a mixed use development that would create new space above the railways just west of Lake Shore Drive.

 

Then you loop in one other proposal that hasn't gotten much traction, https://www.modernmetraelectric.org/, basically a proposal to operate the Metra Electric at CTA like frequency. That 18th street stop is actually the one convenient train stop for the museum campus, except its service isn't frequent enough. But with the right frequency you could shuttle a lot of public transit riders from Millenium Park, not to mention much better service to huge swaths of the south side. Combine the museum campus circulator idea from One Central as well, but add some connections to say, Roosevelt and Union Station as well, and you'd actually have a cohesive and easy Soldier Field accessibility plan (and the rest of the museum campus obviously for the other 355 days a year).

 

Anyways, I love any future Bears stadium plan that doesn't involve public money. So I'm not too attached to the Arlington Heights possibility for that reason alone, but definitely wouldn't mind seeing Soldier Field a little more pedestrian and transit oriented and then keep the team there. Maybe Arlington can develop the rest of the land and leave 80 acres open for a future NFL expansion team :).

 

 

this is a very good strategy for maintaining and aiding SF for sure, but the Bears still dont have ownership in the stadium, and that could be their larger sticking point. I'd love to see this work out for the Bears and SF, coupled by better revenue for the Bears and more seating capacity in SF, probably a major modernization/remodel to SF. And field turf, no more Chicago Parks death grip.

[David]

https://urbanize.city/chicago/post/one-central-development-bears-transit-hub

 

So this One Central proposal hasn't gotten a ton of traction, but something similar to a proposal like this could make Soldier Field's location an actual asset. I've read some criticism of the "Transit Hub" part of this, mainly that Amtrack, Metra, and CTA aren't going to be incentivized to build rail (or schedule) away from existing hubs. But if the Bears are pursuing partnerships with One Central, maybe there's a future where Soldier Field is actually relatively pedestrian and transit friendly, by connecting the museum campus more to the south loop.

 

For those unaware, One Central is basically a mixed use development that would create new space above the railways just west of Lake Shore Drive.

 

Then you loop in one other proposal that hasn't gotten much traction, https://www.modernmetraelectric.org/, basically a proposal to operate the Metra Electric at CTA like frequency. That 18th street stop is actually the one convenient train stop for the museum campus, except its service isn't frequent enough. But with the right frequency you could shuttle a lot of public transit riders from Millenium Park, not to mention much better service to huge swaths of the south side. Combine the museum campus circulator idea from One Central as well, but add some connections to say, Roosevelt and Union Station as well, and you'd actually have a cohesive and easy Soldier Field accessibility plan (and the rest of the museum campus obviously for the other 355 days a year).

 

Anyways, I love any future Bears stadium plan that doesn't involve public money. So I'm not too attached to the Arlington Heights possibility for that reason alone, but definitely wouldn't mind seeing Soldier Field a little more pedestrian and transit oriented and then keep the team there. Maybe Arlington can develop the rest of the land and leave 80 acres open for a future NFL expansion team :).

 

 

this is a very good strategy for maintaining and aiding SF for sure, but the Bears still dont have ownership in the stadium, and that could be their larger sticking point. I'd love to see this work out for the Bears and SF, coupled by better revenue for the Bears and more seating capacity in SF, probably a major modernization/remodel to SF. And field turf, no more Chicago Parks death grip.

 

the decision to have grass is the bears' choice, not the city's. the city would've gladly installed field turf years ago if the bears wanted it.

[minnesotacubsfan]

really? I've always heard the opposite

[David]

really? I've always heard the opposite

 

https://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/bears/chi-jerry-angelo-artificial-turf-20140521-story.html

 

From 2014

 

The Bears have said they have done studies on player safety, and the findings have not proved artificial turf is as safe as natural grass. Despite problems with the turf, no one has pointed to the surface as a cause for an injury in recent seasons.

 

Soldier Field spokesman Luca Serra told the Tribune no change is in the works.

 

"We're always open to that conversation with the Bears," Serra said. "Based on recent conversations, there really hasn't been much movement in the way of switching in the imminent future. For the Bears, it's a health and wellness issue for the players. Right now, they still really believe, based on the data they have, that they prefer to play on the natural-turf field.

 

"We've made it clear in our discussions we'll entertain anything they want to do."

 

The Chicago Park District, which by contract pays for regularly resodding the field, also would pay for a change to an artificial surface, a move that would be cost-effective in the long run.

 

However, if a move to artificial surface were made, the Bears would be on the hook for a change to natural grass if they wanted to switch back. Switching from an artificial surface to grass would be costlier than making the transition from grass to artificial turf.

[minnesotacubsfan]

 

However, if a move to artificial surface were made, the Bears would be on the hook for a change to natural grass if they wanted to switch back. Switching from an artificial surface to grass would be costlier than making the transition from grass to artificial turf.

 

that part is surprising at first, but makes a ton of sense. thanks, I really thought it was the opposite; ie the City wanted to keep it grass

[WrigleyField 22]

I think stadium ownership is less of an issue than creating ancillary revenue streams, which Arlington Park allows. They have a favorable revenue agreement on the actual stadium stuff as is, but not much else. S o if they can create those ancillary revenue streams without dumping hundreds of millions or more into a stadium... Could be worth it. And maybe in 30 years they can figure out how to increase Soldier Fields capacity.

[stitchface]

https://urbanize.city/chicago/post/one-central-development-bears-transit-hub

 

So this One Central proposal hasn't gotten a ton of traction, but something similar to a proposal like this could make Soldier Field's location an actual asset. I've read some criticism of the "Transit Hub" part of this, mainly that Amtrack, Metra, and CTA aren't going to be incentivized to build rail (or schedule) away from existing hubs. But if the Bears are pursuing partnerships with One Central, maybe there's a future where Soldier Field is actually relatively pedestrian and transit friendly, by connecting the museum campus more to the south loop.

 

For those unaware, One Central is basically a mixed use development that would create new space above the railways just west of Lake Shore Drive.

 

Then you loop in one other proposal that hasn't gotten much traction, https://www.modernmetraelectric.org/, basically a proposal to operate the Metra Electric at CTA like frequency. That 18th street stop is actually the one convenient train stop for the museum campus, except its service isn't frequent enough. But with the right frequency you could shuttle a lot of public transit riders from Millenium Park, not to mention much better service to huge swaths of the south side. Combine the museum campus circulator idea from One Central as well, but add some connections to say, Roosevelt and Union Station as well, and you'd actually have a cohesive and easy Soldier Field accessibility plan (and the rest of the museum campus obviously for the other 355 days a year).

 

Anyways, I love any future Bears stadium plan that doesn't involve public money. So I'm not too attached to the Arlington Heights possibility for that reason alone, but definitely wouldn't mind seeing Soldier Field a little more pedestrian and transit oriented and then keep the team there. Maybe Arlington can develop the rest of the land and leave 80 acres open for a future NFL expansion team :).

 

monorail! What's that word? Monorail!