Chicago City Wire

Chicago Mayoral Candidate Paul Vallas voiced his opposition to current Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s effort to renovate Soldier Field and bring a NASCAR event to next year’s Fourth of July weekend.

“$2.2 billion taxpayer-subsidized stadium renovations by Soldier Field renovation that will be anchored by a soccer team,” Vallas wrote on Twitter.

A release from the office of the Mayor noted the innovations will make the stadium a “top tier NFL stadium.”

Lightfoot has proposed three options for renovations of Soldier Field, ranging in cost from $900 million to $2.2 billion, according to a release.

The first option would be to rebuild both endzones, adding columns that would support a dome to fully enclose the stadium. The second proposed option would build columns that would make the stadium ready for a dome. The third option would modify the stadium to make it more suited for soccer, as well as concerts and other large events. The proposals also include expanding seating, adding more food and beverage areas, increasing the number of suites and adding more clubs and experiential areas.

“An improved Soldier Field will deliver a world-class visitor experience,” said Mayor Lightfoot. “Furthermore, any of these proposed renovations will allow Soldier Field to retain its role as an economic engine for Chicago for years to come, as these changes will allow us to keep bringing sports, music and other exciting events to our city.”

Seating will change with the innovation. The release said there will be an expansion of seating from 61,500 to 70,000.

“We will make a very compelling case that any investment made of precious tax dollars will have a substantial return on that investment that makes sense for the taxpayers,” Lightfoot said, despite the fact that Chicago taxpayers are still paying down $400 million in debts incurred from Soldier Field’s 2003 renovation.

“We have not seen any plan that would keep that burden off the taxpayers,” said Friends of the Parks Executive Director Juanita Irizarry, calling Lightfoot's proposals "prohibitively expensive,” the Chicago Sun-Times reported.

Front Office Sports noted there are plans to sell naming rights and host the Super Bowl.

In September, the Chicago Bears signed a $197.2 million purchase and sale agreement with Churchill Downs Inc. for the Arlington Park racetrack site, 30 miles northwest of Soldier Field, ESPN reported. "As part of our mutual agreement with the seller of that property, we are not pursuing alternative stadium deals or sites, including renovations to Soldier Field, while we are under contract," the Bears said in a statement.

"We have informed the City of Chicago that we intend to honor our contractual commitments as we continue our due diligence and predevelopment activities on the Arlington Heights property. In the meantime, we remain committed to fulfilling our Permit Operating Agreement (POA) at Soldier Field."

The stadium opened in 1924. In two more years, it’ll turn a century old.

Lightfoot said in a tweet, "Chicago’s streets are as iconic as our skyline and our reputation as a world-class sports city is indisputable. I am thrilled to welcome our partners @NASCAR for an event that will attract thousands of people to our great city. Chicago’s world-class entertainment and hospitality industries, coupled with our city's history as a conduit for sports talent, make us the perfect hosts for this unique event."

NBC Chicago reported Chicago is using Grant Park next summer for a 2.2-mile NASCAR race through DuSalbe Lake Shore Drive, Michigan Avenue and other streets.

Democrat Paul Vallas announced that he is running for mayor of the City of Chicago in a video posted to YouTube on May 31. Vallas highlighted several issues, including lead in drinking water, “sky-high property taxes,” Chicago Public Schools (CPS) not "putting students first," and "rampant" violent crime. "Chicago is burning,"

Vallas said, showing footage of a police vehicle in flames with "ACAB" ("all cops are bastards") spray painted on its side during the George Floyd riots of 2020, followed by footage of incumbent mayor Lori Lightfoot, Police Superintendent David Brown and Cook County State's Attorney Kim Foxx.

Front Office Sports reported the approximate cost to do the renovation is $1.5 billion.

NASCAR recently announced that they will host a "Chicago Street Race Weekend" over Fourth of July weekend next year, NBC reported. 

"Like the Busch Light Clash at the Coliseum, we seized an incredible opportunity to add an unprecedented element to our schedule and take center stage in the heart of another major metropolitan market,” said Ben Kennedy, NASCAR senior vice president of racing development and strategy. “This is the ideal setting for the first-ever NASCAR Cup Series street race. The NASCAR Cup Series Next Gen cars and the IMSA machines will race along the shores of Lake Michigan in downtown Chicago, marking a truly historic moment for our sport.”

NASCAR has not hosted any events in Chicago since 2019. The course for next summer will begin near Buckingham Fountain and run south to E Balbo Drive. Drivers will then turn right onto Lake Shore Drive and head towards the Field Museum. The course then runs onto E Roosevelt Road before turning back onto Columbus.