Fire Won’t Follow Bears Out of Chicago, Could Build Own Stadium

While one Chicago team has a foot out the door, another is doubling down on the Windy City.

Major League Soccer’s Chicago Fire is weighing its options, but team president Ishwara Glassman Chrein said the team will not be following the Chicago Bears to Arlington Heights.

• Both teams currently play at Soldier Field, which is owned by the Chicago Park District.
• Glassman Chrein said that the team could build a soccer-specific stadium in Chicago.
• The Fire could also remain at Soldier Field, either as the secondary tenant or the primary one if the Bears migrate.

The city is leasing around 26 acres of land originally tagged for public housing to the Fire to build an $80 million practice facility. The team has incorporated housing units into its site development plan.

Bears on the Move?

While Soldier Field has been home to the Bears since 1971, it may soon lose them as tenants. Last year, the team purchased a 326-acre property in Arlington Heights, a suburb northwest of the city, for $197.2 million.

Chicago mayor Lori Lightfoot has sought to explore constructing a dome atop Soldier Field and growing its capacity to 70,000 from 61,500 in an attempt to keep the team and allow the city to host major events like the Super Bowl.