The Bears will unveil plans on Wednesday for a new Chicago stadium. The Chicago Tribune has unveiled the financial aspects of the proposed deal.
Per the report, the total project (stadium and infrastructure) will cost $4.6 billion. The Bears are willing to cover half, with public money covering the other half.
The stadium is expected to cost $3.2 billion. The infrastructure improvements are expected to cost $1.4 billion.
Obviously, the final numbers will likely be higher. (They’re never lower.)
Those and other details are expected at Wednesday’s press conference, which likely isn’t happening accidentally one day before the Bears are set to make quarterback Caleb Williams the first overall pick in the draft. The Bears also have the ninth overall selection on Thursday.
The Bears had been looking at potential locations outside of Chicago. More recently, the focus has become staying in the city, with a new, fixed-roof venue that would obviously generate revenue all year long.
It won’t be easy. It definitely won’t be cheap. And it always keeps getting more expensive — especially in an era where the NFL seems to be making so much more of its money through TV and not in-person attendance.