Chicago is exploring the option to put a dome on Soldier Field to keep Bears downtown, while an obstacle was removed in the quest to build a waterfront ballpark for A's in Oakland. Plus, details have been released about a new $1B Buffalo Bills stadium.
Chicago Bears: dome proposed for Soldier Field
While the Bears are looking to relocate from downtown Chicago to the suburb of Arlington Heights, where a new "world-class" stadium could be built to house the team, Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot has another proposal.
Lightfoot is proposing the city make its own renovations to keep the team in the Windy City. She has formed a mayoral committee that is poised to recommend that Chicago "explore the feasibility" of adding a dome to Soldier Field, CBSSports reported.
It's not the first time Lightfoot has floated the idea of a dome, but now her Lakefront Museum Campus Working Group, which was established to consult on strategic investments in Chicago's lakefront landmarks, is expected to introduce a formal proposal of its recommended Soldier Field improvements.
The cost of putting the dome on Soldier Field runs between $400 million to $1.5 billion, according to Crain's, and would likely require taxpayer contributions.
Oakland Athletics: Waterfront ballpark quest moving forward
On Tuesday night, the Oakland City Council voted to not include an Oakland A's stadium on the November ballot, which is considered a small victory for the Athletics executives, Field of Schemes reported.
The Oakland City Council approved with a 5-to vote with one abstention.
The A's executives are hoping to see a new, 35,000-seat waterfront ballpark complex constructed. Estimates of the cost are in the neighborhood of $12 billion, according to the East Bay Times.
The Athletics have tried unsuccessfully for many years to gain a new stadium, and the possibility of relocating began to gain traction last year.
The Athletics have been playing in the same stadium, now called RingCentral Coliseum, since moving to Oakland from Kansas City in 1968, Sports Illustrated reported. The team currently ranks last in MLB attendance for the current season, averaging only 8,688 fans per game.
It appears the A's executives want to see the proposal for a new stadium approved by the current City Council without public input--hence leaving the measure off the ballot and out of the hands of voters.
However, the vote by the council to leave it off the ballot doesn't necessarily mean they don't want the voters involved. It is speculated that the council members wanted more clarity so voters can understand what the measure for the new stadium was asking.
Buffalo Bills: Details of new $1 billion stadium
Plans for a new Buffalo Bills stadium were released by Erie County officials just before the start of the July 4 holiday weekend. It appears the cost to taxpayers will be $1 billion, Field of Schemes reported.
Buffalo Bills' owners will receive a $1 billion subsidy from the state of New York. The county will also hand over 242 acres of public land for the project, 56 of which are part of the Erie Community College south campus, and some of which is currently occupied by the college’s athletic fields.
Bills' owners plan to recoup their cost by selling personal seat licenses (PSL), which they estimate could bring in $90 million.
According to the current price list, PSLs will range between $6,250-$7,300 each for low-end club seating and high-end reserve seating respectively, and up to $16,500 for high-end club seating. Low-end reserve seating will run $500, while reserved middle-ground seating will run $3,950.