A Chicago sports team is building a new, “world-class stadium in the heart of the city” — but it’s not the Chicago White Sox, or even the Chicago Bears.
According to Tuesday announcement, Chicago Fire FC will build a new “soccer-specific” stadium in the South Loop at the site known as The 78. The $650 million stadium will be personally financed by Chicago FC owner and Chicago native Joe Mansueto, the announcement said, and not require taxpayer funding.
The stadium will is meant to anchor real estate developer Related Midwest’s 62-acre master-planned development for the area, which is meant to create a new “78 neighborhood” on Roosevelt and alongside the Chicago River, the announcement said.
A letter from Mansueto, titled “Dear Chicago,” said the project is “more than just a stadium.”
“It’s a space for fans of all ages, backgrounds and neighborhoods to come together and celebrate the beautiful game – right in the heart of our city,” the letter read, in part. “It’s about investing in Chicago, not just on match days, but every day as a committed community partner.”
The new, open-air stadium will seat 22,000 fans, the announcement said, with the initial phase of construction scheduled for fall 2025 or early 2026. It’s expected to open in 2028, ahead of the MLS regular season.
The Fire moved out of SeatGeek Stadium in suburban Bridgeview after the 2019 season, returning to Soldier Field since the beginning of 2020. Soldier Field had been the team’s home for the first four years of its existence, but then the club began bouncing between venues before settling in at SeatGeek Stadium in 2006.
The announcement also comes amid previous reports that The Chicago White Sox were aiming to build a new stadium at the same site. The most recent report said the move could take place after the expiration of the team’s lease at Rate Field, which ends following the 2029 season.
It also comes as the Chicago Bears continue talks for a new stadium, which have shifted once again from the city to suburban Arlington Heights. The team bought the village’s now-shuttered Arlington Park racecourse, in for nearly $200 million in 2023, but a property tax dispute stalled their plans.
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