Can Lori Lightfoot really put a roof on Soldier Field?
A trending subject lately in the Chicago sports world is the possible relocation of the Bears. The big rumour is that the football team would be moving to a new stadium in Arlington Heights. At this point, it is more than a rumour, it is a real, likely, possibility.
In response to that, Mayor Lori Lightfoot has changed her stance regarding improving Soldier Field. Her initial reaction when the news first broke out was that it was a simple negotiating tactic from the Bears and that the team should "focus on putting a winning team on the field, beating the Packers finally, and being relevant past October. Everything else is just noise"
Now, it looks like she is actually taking this matter seriously and she understands that losing a franchise as big as the Chicago Bears would be extremely detrimental for her city.
The mayor talked about the possible renovations to Soldier Field. She mentioned a couple of minor changes to the surrounding of the stadium and also trying to upgrade the fan experience. But, the biggest bomb she dropped was a potential addition of a roof on top of the stadium.
This would change a lot of things. On paper, it would seem great. The stadium could be of use for more sports events or shows all year round. However, is it really possible? The answer is probably not.
First of all, the cost of this would be huge. I'm not sure they would have the budget for that. But, for the sake of the argument, let's say they did have the money for it, can it be done.
Dirk Lohan, architect of the last renovation says it is not a great option. Technically speaking you can do something like that. It would be extremely expensive because the support columns have to be outside. He then goes on during an extending interview with WGN that it could cost in the billions to make it happen. At this point, it is not worth it at all to do that for Soldier Field that, by the way, is the single oldest stadium in the NFL.
In conclusion, while there is a tiny possibility of it happening, it likely won't. Mayor Lightfoot might be playing the politics game a little bit right here.
