Gov Pritzker: Bears new stadium is “non-starter” for state

[bamainatlanta]

Illinois gov.: Bears' stadium plan a 'nonstarter'

The Chicago Bears' proposal to fund a new lakefront stadium remains a "nonstarter," Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker's office said after top aides met with team officials Wednesday.

www.espn.co.uk

I thought the Bears laid out their plans last week like it was a done deal? So the team announced a new stadium but never had approval from the state?

 

[Luke]

Unlike Poles, Warren apparently does sleep - at the wheel.

 

[sevvy]

Welp, time to buy a giant Tupperware lid and put it on Soldier Field.

 

[Leon Sandcastle]

I thought it was just a proposal

 

[remydat]

Illinois gov.: Bears' stadium plan a 'nonstarter'

The Chicago Bears' proposal to fund a new lakefront stadium remains a "nonstarter," Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker's office said after top aides met with team officials Wednesday.

www.espn.co.uk

I thought the Bears laid out their plans last week like it was a done deal? So the team announced a new stadium but never had approval from the state?

Lol no they didnt. It was a proposal just like AH was.

 

[IBleedBearsBlood]

It was a proposal, not a done deal.

 

[bamainatlanta]

It was a proposal, not a done deal.

Got it.

 

[bamainatlanta]

Unlike Poles, Warren apparently does sleep - at the wheel.

Yeah I’m not really impressed with Warren’s ability to read the room.

 

[BaBaBlacksheep]

Not in any way defending Warren here… but what do people think was going to happen? Politicians were going to come out and embrace this from day 1? They have to spend time doing the dog and pony show.

Maybe it works. Maybe it doesn’t. I really don’t care. But the politicians need to get their face time and talking points in the media first. And that may take months or even years. This is free press for them.

 

[WestCoastBearsFan]

Interesting that the Arlington Heights proposal was never a non starter for Illinois.

 

[dennehy]

It's basically illegal to build any new structures east of LSD without tons of new approvals.

The Museum Campus has barely changed at all in my lifetime, other than moving the northbound LSD lanes west of Soldier Field.

Friends of the Parks isn't going to be amenable to the plan.

And, rightly, the state and city should not be putting up billions without something approaching a guarantee on their investment. Public financing of stadia has been an unmitigated disaster everywhere.

The plan is amazing imo but there are way too many roadblocks.

 

[dennehy]

Interesting that the Arlington Heights proposal was never a non starter for Illinois.

The Bears iirc didn't ask for public funding for AH, only for infrastructure. It's also a private tract, unlike the Museum Campus. A much, much more complicated issue.

 

[Yogi]

If the Bears moved to AH, wouldn't the city then have to foot the entire bill of maintaining the Soldier Field campus and redeveloping it so it doesn't just become some decrepit stadium on a plot of unsustainable land? Having no NFL revenue going toward the upkeep doesn't seem like a good option for Chicagoans either.

 

[WestCoastBearsFan]

It's basically illegal to build any new structures east of LSD without tons of new approvals.

The Museum Campus has barely changed at all in my lifetime, other than moving the northbound LSD lanes west of Soldier Field.

Friends of the Parks isn't going to be amenable to the plan.

And, rightly, the state and city should not be putting up billions without something approaching a guarantee on their investment. Public financing of stadia has been an unmitigated disaster everywhere.

The plan is amazing imo but there are way too many roadblocks.

So Arlington it is?

 

[dennehy]

If the Bears moved to AH, wouldn't the city then have to foot the entire bill of maintaining the Soldier Field campus and redeveloping it so it doesn't just become some decrepit stadium on a plot of unsustainable land? Having no NFL revenue going toward the upkeep doesn't seem like a good option for Chicagoans either.

The city seems to be in full support of it. The state doesn't care if the Bears are in Chicago or AH though.

 

[dennehy]

So Arlington it is?

I would guess so, but that has issues too.

If the powers that be in the city really want it they could probably make it happen but it will have to have broad based support imo.

I think the unions and construction will be behind it.

 

[BNB]

Not in any way defending Warren here… but what do people think was going to happen? Politicians were going to come out and embrace this from day 1? They have to spend time doing the dog and pony show.

Maybe it works. Maybe it doesn’t. I really don’t care. But the politicians need to get their face time and talking points in the media first. And that may take months or even years. This is free press for them.

This is more on Warren than the politicians, imo.

He never met with the state before last week's live proposal. We know that because JB said his team never met with Bears officials, and even during the presentation during the Q&A session when Warren was asked about his thoughts on JB "throwing cold water on the plan", Warren responded with, "How could he throw cold water on it if we just shared what the plan is?" Basically saying that JB and the state never saw the proposal.

Warren was also asked if the Bears were ready to spend months to years enduring legal battles from environmental groups, (i.e., Friends of the Parks), and he said that they will have those conversations.

If the Bears were hoping to get approval by this May, why the fuck would you not have conversations with those who could block you from proceeding? Warren's plan seems to have been to gain public support by wowing them with pretty pictures, and having Chicago/Illinois residents pressure their politicians into approving the plan. That seems to have backfired pretty badly. Residents don't want to help pay for a new stadium, and they seem annoyed that it was painted like it won't be that much for taxpayers.

I'm not a fan of politicians, but I think JB is getting this right. There are more important things to pay for than a new stadium for the Bears and Sox.

 

[ZOMBIE@CTESPN]

I thought the prayer before the proposal would have pushed this over the top.

 

[ZOMBIE@CTESPN]

This is more on Warren than the politicians, imo.

He never met with the state before last week's live proposal. We know that because JB said his team never met with Bears officials, and even during the presentation during the Q&A session when Warren was asked about his thoughts on JB "throwing cold water on the plan", Warren responded with, "How could he throw cold water on it if we just shared what the plan is?" Basically saying that JB and the state never saw the proposal.

Warren was also asked if the Bears were ready to spend months to years enduring legal battles from environmental groups, (i.e., Friends of the Parks), and he said that they will have those conversations.

If the Bears were hoping to get approval by this May, why the fuck would you not have conversations with those who could block you from proceeding? Warren's plan seems to have been to gain public support by wowing them with pretty pictures, and having Chicago/Illinois residents pressure their politicians into approving the plan. That seems to have backfired pretty badly. Residents don't want to help pay for a new stadium, and they seem annoyed that it was painted like it won't be that much for taxpayers.

I'm not a fan of politicians, but I think JB is getting this right. There are more important things to pay for than a new stadium for the Bears and Sox.

You don’t get shit done in big cities without getting bags of cash to the right people. If they want the lakefront they will have it no problems just got to bribe your way to it

 

[Bust]

Arlington Heights never gave up tho . . .

“It was never a done deal in Arlington Heights. I don’t think it’s anything close to a done deal in the city of Chicago. And so we are ready, willing and able to continue our discussions with them if they get a ‘no’ on the lakefront” proposal the team announced Wednesday, Mayor Tom Hayes told Pioneer Press.

Arlington Heights still wants Chicago Bears to consider moving there: ‘I don’t think it’s anything close to a done deal’

The mayor of Arlington Heights says his northwest suburban town will still be interested in having the Chicago Bears stadium move there.

www.chicagotribune.com