CHICAGO — The Bears and White Sox are looking to build new stadiums in the city — but nobody’s officially asked: Do Chicagoans want to pay for them?
Former Gov. Pat Quinn submitted an ordinance Wednesday morning calling for a Nov. 5 voter referendum asking if state or local taxpayer money should be spent on building a stadium or development for the Bears and White Sox.
“What we want to do is give the people of our city a chance to vote on this issue in November,” Quinn said at a news conference. “Shall the people of Chicago provide any taxpayer subsidies to the Chicago Bears or the White Sox in order to build a stadium or real estate development?”
Referendums are non-binding, meaning that if the question is placed on the ballot and people answer, it won’t necessarily affect the city’s or state’s plans for helping the teams. But the information could be used to influence government decisions on if they’ll provide funding for the stadiums.
The Sox and Bears have been floating potential plans for building new stadiums in the city, but it’s not clear what financial burden there’d be for taxpayers.
For more than a year, the Bears have threatened to leave Chicago for the suburbs, and they looked set to build a sprawling stadium and development in Arlington Heights — before recently announcing a proposed move to the lakefront.
The lakefront proposal calls for a domed stadium just south of Soldier Field, and it’d use $2 billion in private money, according to the Sun-Times. But the city and state would still be asked to cover the other costs of building the stadium, and it’s not clear what that could amount to.
Meanwhile, the White Sox are eyeing a potential move to The 78 in the South Loop, and Chairman Jerry Reinsdorf has gone to the state to ask for $1.2 billion in public funding. Mayor Brandon Johnson has hinted he’s not opposed to the city footing some of the bill for a new Sox stadium, too.
It is not unusual for cities and states to kick in taxpayer cash to help professional sports teams build stadiums, as they argue their games ultimately benefit the local economy and can bring in cash to local businesses and governments. But the practice remains highly controversial.
In 2001, then-Mayor Richard M. Daley blocked a voter referendum initiated by Quinn that would have asked voters a similar question relating to the “spaceship” remodeling of Soldier Field. That multimillion remodel was paid for by state and local taxpayers with bond obligations that are still yet to paid: $640 million, according to NBC5.
“I think it’s really important for the mayor to really follow what he said in the campaign to give people a greater voice in the running of our city, and this issue of investing public money, taxpayer money in building new sports stadiums is one voters deserve a voice in,” Quinn said Wednesday.
The former governor hasn’t yet met with Mayor Brandon Johnson or any aldermen, but he said he’s happy to talk with Johnson “anytime.”
The Mayor’s Office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Quinn said the City Council and the state legislature should be wary of cutting any deals with the teams before voters have a chance to speak.
“We’re a democracy. We’re not just run by folks with big money,” Quinn said.
The city of Chicago allows any resident the opportunity to introduce an ordinance. Quinn’s ordinance will be introduced at the next City Council meeting on April 17.
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