Chicago Mayor: City-Stadium Relationship Works

NEW YORK CITY-The relationship between the City of Chicago and Soldier Field is proof positive that plans for the New York Sports and Convention Center–which would be home to the New York Jets–will work here, according to guests at the Association for a Better New York meeting that featured Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley.

Through a public and private partnership Soldier Field, home to the Chicago Bears, underwent a complete renovation in 2002. The original stadium opened in October 1924 as Municipal Grant Park Stadium and was renamed in 1925. The recent overhaul was part of Chicago’s–and Daley’s–efforts to improve the quality of life and restore the lakefront. “Soldier Field is a good example of how a major city can build a major project to improve the quality of life,” Daley said.

Built in the 1920s, Soldier Field became home to the Bears in 1971; however, according to Daley, the stadium was not built for football–for example, the majority of seats were in the end zones. He added that everyone in Chicago agreed the city needed a new stadium and in 2000 the Lakefront Revitalization Project was proposed. “Soldier Field became part of a much larger plan to redevelop the lakefront,” Daley explained. The $606-million renovation brought along an additional 5,000 jobs and the stadium became a landmark along the lakefront with other public and cultural sites–including the recently unveiled Millennium Park. “It’s more than just a stadium; it is the redevelopment of the lakefront,” he added.