(WBBM NEWSRADIO) – Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker remained cool Wednesday to the idea of a publicly assisted Bears stadium on Chicago’s lakefront after the team pledged $2 billion in private money toward the project.
The Bears earlier this week signaled they would put up that sum for a domed stadium to replace Soldier Field as their site of home games.
“I think we all assumed that they were going to put private money [into a stadium]. If they weren’t, then there was no chance” for public help, Pritzker said at an unrelated event. “That’s a good first step, but I haven’t heard a proposal that goes along with that $2 billion private investment that says that the state should be involved in anything.”
A new Bears stadium – and a new, separate ballpark that the White Sox are pitching – presumably would require a significant public contribution. Pritzker, a Democrat, has said government should not do more than help with infrastructure work for projects like that. Owners presumably will want more.
“I want to say it one more time: We’re prioritizing the use of dollars here for people who need those dollars,” the governor said. “Wealthy owners of sports teams – I respect that they run private businesses and they want them to be profitable, and they want constantly to provide better facilities for their customers. But I don’t think that should be the highest priority for the state of Illinois.
“Instead, I’m willing to listen to whatever it is that they’re proposing. But my number one concern is prioritizing the dollars and making sure that the taxpayers are getting a return on their investment.”
The Chicago Bears face significant hurdles if they move forward with a lakefront-stadium proposal instead of building on land they own in Arlington Heights. The Friends of the Parks organization previously has challenged new development on Chicago’s protected lakefront. This week, FOTP urged the Bears to look at other city sites but stopped short of legal threats.
Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson has said he’d like to keep the Bears in Chicago but notes he hasn’t evaluated an entire proposal from the team.
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