Politicians in Illinois expressed doubts about the proposed$ 2.3 billion stadium that the NFL Chicago Bears would require from the governor. J. B. Pritzker ( D) saying there are higher “priorities” for taxpayers.
Progressive Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson ( D) joined Bears CEO and President Kevin Warren for the franchise’s Wednesday debut of the nearly$ 5 billion stadium plan.  ,
Chicago Bears President Kevin Warren, joined by Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson, left, speaks during a news conference where NFL football team unveiled a almost$ 5 billion plan Wednesday, April 24, 2024, in Chicago, for an enclosed facility next door to their present residence at Soldier Field. ( AP Photo/Teresa Crawford )
” The stadium itself would cost$ 3.2 billion to build, with another$ 1.4 billion in proposed infrastructure improvements”, the Chicago Tribune reported.
The Bears and White Sox will reportedly pledge$ 2.3 billion, but the movie’s plan calls for additional$ 2.3 billion in public funding as well as the refinancing of existing debts from previously publicly funded venues.  ,
Taxpayers would be paying for the infrastructure improvements on top of about$ 1 billion in “new borrowing” to finance the stadium, the outlet reported.
Johnson vowed that the cost would not be covered by income, but other members of his own group objected.
At a distinct celebration on Wednesday, Pritzker stated,” I remain skeptical about this plan and I wonder whether it’s a good deal for the payers.” ” It’s early on. The statement is not something I have heard of today. However, it’s very important to me that we consider what the state’s interests are in light of all that the condition needs to accomplish.
The government continued,” There are a lot of interests that the condition has, and I’m not sure that is one of the highest priorities for citizens.”
J. B. Pritzker, governor of Illinois, speaks during an exam in Chicago, Illinois, on February 23, 2023. ( Christopher Dilts/Bloomberg via Getty Images )
State Senate President Don Harmon ( D) echoed Pritzker’s sentiment.
More than$ 2 billion in private funding appears to be a more credible opening offer than zero, at first glance. But there’s an obvious considerable space remaining, and I echo the president’s skepticism”, he said, according to the Tribune.
” There’s next to no hunger to finance a new stadium with tax money”, Harmon noted.
Emanuel” Chris” Welch ( D), the speaker of the state house, added that he anticipated that the proposal would not receive a vote in the legislature.
Given the amount of debt the franchise still carries from previous projects, Joe Ferguson, president of the fiscal watchdog group Civic Federation, told the local paper,” the plan does n’t seem to be feasible.”
There is not a lot of information required to determine whether one of these ( plans ) is actually feasible or whether it’s a way to take us to the dumps because we’re already carrying hundreds of millions of dollars in debt for the last time we did something like this, according to Ferguson. ” I think Gov. With a true apprehension about public funding of sports stadiums, Pritzker has absolutely right to address this. We need to observe reliable, detailed revenue forecasts for this before we can actually open the talk”.
Sports scholar J. C. Bradbury told the Bears to “pay for their own damned facility”.
One of the most recognizable football markets in the nation wo n’t be left by the Bears. Tell the Bears to pay for their own damn stadium, and if they do n’t like it, to go jump in Lake Michigan”, he said.  ,
