Bears unveil $5 billion plan for lakefront stadium and seek public funding to make it happen

By ANDREW SELIGMAN
AP Sports Writer

CHICAGO (AP) — The Chicago Bears unveiled a nearly $5 billion proposal for an enclosed stadium next door to their current home at Soldier Field as part of a major project that would transform the city’s lakefront, and they are asking for public funding to help make it happen. The plan calls for $3.2 billion for the new stadium plus an additional $1.5 billion in infrastructure. The team and the city said the project would add green and open space while improving access to the city’s Museum Campus and could also include a publicly owned hotel. The proposal calls for $2.025 billion from the Bears, $300 million from an NFL loan and $900 million in bonds from the Illinois Sports Facilities Authority.