Daley: Chicago Would Be 'Ideal Site' For Olympics

[HuskyCaucasian]

I saw this on CBS2Chicago.com

 

One thing that catches my attention is "In addition to the athletes’ village, other big building projects would include an 80,000-seat stadium, which could be made smaller later."

What could they use a new stadium for? We don't need a football stadium, the Sox have a home, and so do the Cubs. I doubt Chicago would get a second football team. Could Chicago possibly build this thing and have the Cubs move into if they want to get out of Wrigley? I am a bit confused as to what this stadium would be used for after the games leave.

[Jimbo's Drinker]

cant they use soldier field as the olympic stadium??? this would make absolutely no sense.

[HuskyCaucasian]

cant they use soldier field as the olympic stadium??? this would make absolutely no sense.

The olympics mandate that an Olympic stadium must have a certain seating capacity. i think it's 70,000-80,000. Soldier field could never be modifiec to hold that many people.

 

 

Another thought, were could this thing be built??? THere isnt much land left open near downtown or major expressways that could hold a massize stadium and all the needed parking.

Edited May 10, 2006 by Athomeboy_2000

[Phuck the Cubs]

Mariotti wrote a while back that if Mayor Daley had called for a temporary expansion to make the capacity of Soldier Field 80,000 when renovating it, then an Olympic bid would be more feasable.

[southsider2k5]

I'd love to see Chicago get this olympic bid. I know the naysayers will blow it off as a pain in the ass and expensive, but Chicago will get HUGE capital improvement projects that have been blown off for decades, such as the circle line contecting the trains, a third airport, and the fixing of the railroad mess on the southside of Chicago, which will so be worth it in the long run. The exposure and pork projects alone pay for any temporary inconviences.

[whitem0nkey]

there was an article about this 5 months ago. in the trib. about a 2nd nfl team, and Daley is seriously considering a bid for the 2016 Summer Games.

 

A second NFL team would be a long shot. The league's top priority is to try to keep the New Orleans Saints in their hurricane-battered hometown. After that, Los Angeles, a city without an NFL team, is viewed as next in line for any franchise transplant or expansion.

 

And any team that would consider Chicago most likely would have to pay a hefty fee to the Chicago Bears to compensate for moving into their territory.

 

The idea of importing another football team hasn't reached the NFL, which on Thursday said it had heard nothing of it. A decision to move a team would require a favorable vote by 24 of 32 team owners.

 

the link does not work any more, but i posted it in another forum i use and found it.

[Phuck the Cubs]

Chicago does have a lot of pieces in place, and you can just put the Cubs and Sox on road trips if the ballparks are needed for competition. You'd have to build an aquatics center, though, and what would the stadium e used for after the games are over?

[WilliamTell]

It'd be nice for Chicago I think, plus I'd consider going to see some of the games but I'm guessing it won't happen.

[DBAHO]

Weren't people on here complaining about what it would do for the traffic etc? But Mike brings up a good point in terms of capital investment, but the city would have to be careful in terms of building costs to ensure that the budget for it wouldn't go out of control.

 

I think for the next winter olympics in Vancouver they have already re-done the costs for that by a few hundred million upwards.

[knightni]

I HIGHLY doubt that you could get enough interest to support another NFL team in Chicago.

 

Everyone in the city LOVES the Bears.

Edited May 11, 2006 by knightni

[NorthSideSox72]

I like the idea all around, but the 80k stadium will be the end of it. No current stadium could be retrofitted to make that number. And lets think about this - spend about a BILLION dollars for a new stadium that would be used for the Olympics and, well, thats about it. We aren't getting another NFL team, so what else do you use it for? The occasional really huge outdoor concert? Not much other use, really.

 

So as much as I like the idea of the Olympics here, I don't think it will happen.

[southsider2k5]

The whole reason that the remodel of Soldier Field had such a low capacity was to try to keep the historical standing of it... now that it is gone, why not just expand it to 80K+ God knows they could sell the tickets for the Bears anyway.

[nitetrain8601]

I like the idea all around, but the 80k stadium will be the end of it. No current stadium could be retrofitted to make that number. And lets think about this - spend about a BILLION dollars for a new stadium that would be used for the Olympics and, well, thats about it. We aren't getting another NFL team, so what else do you use it for? The occasional really huge outdoor concert? Not much other use, really.

 

So as much as I like the idea of the Olympics here, I don't think it will happen.

 

I shall answer this. Okay, well first off, the stadium would be put on or near the UIC Campus. University Village will also expand and be known as "Athletes Village". The 80,000 stadium would be used for the Olympics of course, and to host huge events, such as the Super Bowl, the Final Four, huge concerts, etc. This alone would draw huge revenue. Also, not everyone in Chicago is a Bears fan. I sure as hell am not. I'm not a Packers of Colts fan either. If it were up to me, I'd implode Soldier Field, change the colors of the team to purple and yellow and move the team to Alburqerque.

 

I'm with southsider. Let's get the Olympics, please!!!!!! It'll do soo much good for the city.

 

The whole reason that the remodel of Soldier Field had such a low capacity was to try to keep the historical standing of it... now that it is gone, why not just expand it to 80K+ God knows they could sell the tickets for the Bears anyway.

 

Because expanding it would cost mucho dinero and it wouldn't be able to pay for itself unless a roof was put on it. A retractable roof at least would be put on the new stadium allowing it to host such events as the Super Bowl and the Final Four. I'd love to see both held in Chicago. The thought of it makes me drool.

[HuskyCaucasian]

I shall answer this. Okay, well first off, the stadium would be put on or near the UIC Campus. University Village will also expand and be known as "Athletes Village". The 80,000 stadium would be used for the Olympics of course, and to host huge events, such as the Super Bowl, the Final Four, huge concerts, etc. This alone would draw huge revenue.

 

Interesting! I never thought of there. According to Google Maps, there is a huge area just south of UIC (near Ashland and Roosevelt) where we could fit a stadium with all the needed parking. PLus the Blue line is right there. Makes sense to me!

 

PS: How do you knwo so much about all this?

[nitetrain8601]

Interesting! I never thought of there. According to Google Maps, there is a huge area just south of UIC (near Ashland and Roosevelt) where we could fit a stadium with all the needed parking. PLus the Blue line is right there. Makes sense to me!

 

PS: How do you knwo so much about all this?

 

I've been researching it.

[NorthSideSox72]

The whole reason that the remodel of Soldier Field had such a low capacity was to try to keep the historical standing of it... now that it is gone, why not just expand it to 80K+ God knows they could sell the tickets for the Bears anyway.

I am not sure that is really possible. Its already a steep, tight stadium for 55k. I think changing Soldier to be 80k would be a wee bit challenging, engineering-wise, if not downright impossible (short of starting over).

[nitetrain8601]

I am not sure that is really possible. Its already a steep, tight stadium for 55k. I think changing Soldier to be 80k would be a wee bit challenging, engineering-wise, if not downright impossible (short of starting over).

 

They'd probably have to remove the columns, Beers( ) would have to move to Urbana again for a year, and the place would probably look like even more of a spaceship. And for anyone who thinks the Cell's upperdeck was steep, you'd be scared s***less.

[NorthSideSox72]

I shall answer this. Okay, well first off, the stadium would be put on or near the UIC Campus. University Village will also expand and be known as "Athletes Village". The 80,000 stadium would be used for the Olympics of course, and to host huge events, such as the Super Bowl, the Final Four, huge concerts, etc. This alone would draw huge revenue. Also, not everyone in Chicago is a Bears fan. I sure as hell am not. I'm not a Packers of Colts fan either. If it were up to me, I'd implode Soldier Field, change the colors of the team to purple and yellow and move the team to Alburqerque.

 

I'm with southsider. Let's get the Olympics, please!!!!!! It'll do soo much good for the city.

Because expanding it would cost mucho dinero and it wouldn't be able to pay for itself unless a roof was put on it. A retractable roof at least would be put on the new stadium allowing it to host such events as the Super Bowl and the Final Four. I'd love to see both held in Chicago. The thought of it makes me drool.

The Final Four in an open air stadium??? I don't think so. A retractable roof stadium is still open-air, unless you want to build something unlike any of the other ones around. And so far, Super Bowls don't go to cold weather cities.

 

Stadiums needs regular events to make money. You may think of an empty stadium as not creating costs, but that is not true. Every day that stadium stands there empty, money is lost (maintenance, security, taxes, and the BILLION DOLLAR STARTUP COST, etc.). Its just very, very dificult to imagine we'd get enough concerts of that magnitude in a year to justify the billion dollar cost. The numbers don't add up.

 

Now don't get me wrong, I would love to see the Olympics here. But I think you are seeing the stadium situation through rose-colored glasses.

[HuskyCaucasian]

I've been researching it.

By the way, here is what it would look like if they built a stadium where I proposed (note: this is the AlamoDome being superimposed over the area.

[NorthSideSox72]

By the way, here is what it would look like if they built a stadium where I proposed (note: this is the AlamoDome being superimposed over the area.

Isn't the Alamodone a lot smaller than 80k?

[HuskyCaucasian]

A retractable roof stadium is still open-air, unless you want to build something unlike any of the other ones around. And so far, Super Bowls don't go to cold weather cities.

 

Those two points are very wrong.

Almost all retracable roof stadiums and not open-air. When they are closed, they are sealed from the outdoor eliments. One exception is SafeCo Field (I still have no idea why they decided to make it an open-air stadium when it's closed.

 

As for the cold weather thing, the SuperBowl was in Detroit this year!!!

 

 

Isn't the Alamodone a lot smaller than 80k?

72,000 for football. So, enlarge it a little and it is easily 80,000

[NorthSideSox72]

Those two points are very wrong.

Almost all retracable roof stadiums and not open-air. When they are closed, they are sealed from the outdoor eliments. One exception is SafeCo Field (I still have no idea why they decided to make it an open-air stadium when it's closed.

 

As for the cold weather thing, the SuperBowl was in Detroit this year!!!

72,000 for football. So, enlarge it a little and it is easily 80,000

I think you are mistaken, or misunderstood open air. Some stadiums with retractable roofs are very open, like Safeco, but also Houston's baseballs stadium (whatever the current corporate name is), and I think Milwaukee too, right? But even the ones that close up are still considered open air facilities.

 

In any case, even if I'm wrong and the Final Four went in there, you are talking about a once every few years thing (if that). Super Bowl would be once in DECADES. The realities of this stadium requirement are not pretty for the city.

[HuskyCaucasian]

I think you are mistaken, or misunderstood open air. Some stadiums with retractable roofs are very open, like Safeco, but also Houston's baseballs stadium (whatever the current corporate name is), and I think Milwaukee too, right? But even the ones that close up are still considered open air facilities.

I suppose it depends on your definition of open-air. I think Houstons is completely closed up when the roof is closed. As for Milwaukee, I think there are movable windows in the outfield. So, the roof could be closed but the windows open. WIth that being said, the Toronto Raptors played baskeball in the SkyDome with the roof closed. In fact, they actually played one game with the roof open. i belive the ONLY NBA game ever played "outdoors".

[knightni]

There is a 80K stadium within 100 miles of Chicago.

 

 

[SleepyWhiteSox]

There is a 80K stadium within 100 miles of Chicago.

 

Doesn't help us much. It's gotta be in the city.