It has become widespread knowledge that the Chicago Bears have placed all of their focus on getting their new stadium built in Arlington Heights. They exhausted every avenue trying to stay downtown. In the end, the state government wasn’t willing to cooperate. The only thing left to do is pass some legislation in Springfield that paves the way for them to start building. Unfortunately, their timing was off. The spring sessions ended before the Bears could get their ducks in a row. There is hope that something can get done during a brief session in October, but experts are skeptical that it will happen.
That means waiting until the next spring session. Until then, it is believed the team would roll out more of their plans. It appears we may have gotten a leak courtesy of MANICA, a prominent architectural firm. They revealed that they are leading the charge in designing the Bears’ new stadium. It comes with a rendered image of what the complex could look like. This is the same firm that did projects like Allegiant Stadium (Raiders), NRG Stadium (Texans), the Toyota Center (Rockets), and Chase Center (Golden State).
“MANICA is leading the design of the new home of the Chicago Bears. The new world-class home of the Chicago Bears will feature a greater degree of enjoyment on game day for fans, with a layout to reduce crowding on concourses, increased fan-to-restroom ratios, and improved food options with state-of-the-art technology to reduce check-out times throughout the stadium. Before fans even enter the building, the dedicated tailgating spots, parking spots walkable to the entrances, and an on-site Metra stop will bring fans into the entertainment district, dramatically enhancing the experience before kickoff even happens.”
The Chicago Bears picked good people for the job.
Since its completion, Allegiant Stadium has consistently been ranked among the top five in the NFL. The same goes for the Chase Center in the NBA. These people are experienced and knowledgeable about putting together a state-of-the-art complex and enhancing fan enjoyment. Based on this image, they seem to have an elaborate layout for the Churchill Downs property. It’s fed both by the train tracks and the surrounding roads. Parking will be interesting as they seem to want a massive tailgating area in the center of the complex. Then, fans can walk straight to the stadium. Obviously, the full details aren’t hashed out. This feels like a preview of what they’re going for. The fun stuff will come soon.