In the modern NFL, $2.2bn won’t stop the Chicago Bears’ flight to the suburbs

The city’s mayor has unveiled ambitious plans to renovate the Bears' historic Soldier Field. But franchise ownership sees better commercial opportunities elsewhere

A graphic rendering of one of the plans to enclose Soldier Field and keep the Bears in downtown Chicago.

THE city of Chicago has thrown its considerable weight this week behind an attempt to keep the Bears at Soldier Field, the NFL team’s base since 1971. The historic stadium, the oldest in the NFL, may very well be in its finals days as the Bears’ home.

Last year, the team’s ownership reached a purchase agreement on a sprawling 326-acre site in the Chicago suburbs. The Bears’ purchase is essentially pending although before it becomes final, there are a litany of logistical, financial, and legal loops both sides will need to shore up.