Mayor Brandon Johnson Is All In On Proposed $4.7 Billion Bears Stadium — And Thinks You Should Be, Too

DOWNTOWN — Mayor Brandon Johnson is going all-in for a multibillion-dollar Chicago Bears stadium, defending the massive project as a boon for local jobs, public recreational space and tourism as well as the hometown team, which has threatened to move to the suburbs.

Johnson joined NBC Sports Chicago’s Laurence Holmes Wednesday for an exclusive 15-minute Q&A session after a flashy press conference where Team McCaskey pitched their plan for a state-of-the-art domed lakefront stadium with expanded green space for public use.

The catch: Taxpayers would have to cough up as much as $1.5 billion of the projected tab of $4.7 billion.

Reviews have been mixed, with some wondering where the taxpayers’ share will come from. Even Gov. JB Pritzker, a billionaire, appears unconvinced, according to the Sun-Times.

“Maybe one lesson that can be learned just from the last few years is stadium deals, and taxpayers putting money forward for stadium deals, [are] not particularly popular around the country,” Pritzker told a crowd at an unrelated press conference in south suburban New Lenox. He pointed to a failed vote in Kansas City, Missouri, this month to establish a new sales tax to pay for new baseball and football stadiums.

“Take note that the winner of the Super Bowl this year, the team went out to try to get the stadium financed by the public and it was rejected by the public in a place where the Super Bowl champions reside,” Pritzker said.

Despite the pushback, Johnson told Holmes he’s in full support of the proposal. Here are highlights from the interview:

‘The Bears Are Staying In Chicago’

Johnson this week has touted a “commitment” that the Bears will stay in the city. Holmes pressed Johnson on that, saying the team has spent $200 million on a potential Arlington Heights location, and Bears President and CEO Kevin Warren didn’t fully close the door on a move to the suburbs in recent comments.

“The McCaskey family trusts the leadership of Kevin Warren. He’s done this before. Kevin Warren trusts my leadership,” Johnson said. “Over $2 billion that the Bears ownership is prepared to invest in this moment, that’s the word that they have given not just to my administration but to the people of Chicago.”

Johnson touted the collaboration between the public and private sectors throughout the interview.

“We have the chance to do something transformational. We’re talking 20 percent more open green space, we’re talking about 24,000 jobs just for the city of Chicago and 43,000 for the surrounding region. But even long term, 2,300 permanent [city] jobs along with 4,600 permanent jobs for the region. This type of investment is a once-in-a-generation opportunity, and we’re going to seize the moment,” Johnson said.

Johnson said he plans to take the team at its word that it will invest $2 billion in the project.

“The Bears are staying in Chicago,” Johnson said. “A year ago … the Bears were as good as gone. That is no longer the case.

“… What I’ve said from the very beginning, if the Bears are serious about remaining in Chicago, they have to put some real skin in the game. They’ve done that. This public-private partnership to ultimately transform the lakefront the way the original vision of Daniel Burnham had, we’re the generation that actually is in a position to pull that off.”

‘I Run The City Of Chicago’

Holmes bought up dissension in the Democratic ranks, pointing out that Pritzker, who said the stadium “isn’t a high priority” for he and his fellow legislators, was not invited to the Bears event despite being 20 minutes away.

“I run the city of Chicago. What the city has made very clear is that public use and public benefit to transform the lakefront — that has always been my goal. It’s not about just keeping the Bears in Chicago — which we have a commitment from the Bears to remain in Chicago — it’s also about the transformation that exists there.

“As far as next steps to engage the speaker of the House, the Senate president to engage the governor, to engage the people of Chicago as a whole, that is part of the process,” said Johnson, adding that the team and the city had to be “on the same page” first.

Johnson promoted the public benefit of the proposed stadium, including the surrounding green space that would be available to the public 24/7. Despite the promises of full access and expanded open space where city youth could frolic unencumbered, Friends of the Parks roundly rejected the proposal, blasting the team and city leaders for employing “Chicago Way” tactics to strong-arm taxpayers into financing another billionaire’s project.

“As is so often the case in Chicago, the powerful and wealthy are demanding that our entire city stop and fast track their plans to expand operations on the people’s lakefront,” the nonprofit’s leaders said in a statement.

Johnson said he was confident the project is not in opposition to the Lakefront Protection Ordinance, again touting its 20 percent of expanded green space.

“The amount of investments going into creating 14 more acres of space for our children in the city of Chicago to benefit from, that’s been the vision for the lakefront for some time,” Johnson said.

‘What If … The People Don’t Want It?’

Holmes pressed Johnson on how city leaders will ensure locals want to spend public money on a new stadium.

Chicago taxpayers still owe close to $600 million on the 2002 Soldier Field renovations. Holmes asked the mayor how he’d be able to sell residents on “a stadium that doesn’t necessarily need to be rebuilt.”

“The refinancing of debt has been a very creative approach to make sure we are still paying off the bonds while also making these critical investments,” Johnson said. “Look, there are a number of people who have been in leadership positions before I arrived, and there are some lessons learned from that. That’s why I feel strongly about this opportunity because of its commitment to not only jobs, but women and minority-owned businesses that would be able to participate in the expansion of this entire campus.”

“What if you hear from the people that the people don’t want it?'” Holmes said.

Johnson again pointed to the potential jobs the project would create.

“People have to decide if they want the type of economic development this project brings. I’m confident that what people want to see is the city of Chicago work,” Johnson said.

“We’re talking about 24,000 jobs — who’s opposed to that? We’re talking about 43,000 jobs for the region — who’s opposed to that? The Bears and the organization putting in over $2 billion to make sure this stadium is built with private funds — who’s going to be opposed to that?”

‘Standing With Billionaires’

Holmes closed the interview questioning the optics of Johnson’s “standing with billionaires,” asking if that was antithetical to the mayor’s platform. Not at all, Johnson said.

“This project is aligned with my vision for the people of Chicago,” Johnson said. “I’ve said from the very beginning that the best way to build a better, stronger, safer Chicago is to invest in people, young people in particular.

“Here’s the thing that I believe is special about this moment: the fact that a middle child with 10 siblings from a working-class family is in a position to speak to the interest of every day Chicagoans and challenge billionaires to put skin in the game? That’s what I promised I’d make sure happen.”

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Listen to the Block Club Chicago podcast:

-Mistrust about misuse of public money. People are concerned about the optics of you standing with billionaires. Is there any concerns you’re being inconsistent to your platform by standing with this project.