Chicago Bears reportedly considering south parking lot for new stadium

CHICAGO - Until recently, the former Arlington Park racetrack appeared to be the odds-on favorite for the Chicago Bears' new home. However, now there are reports that the team is looking at the possibility of building a new state-of-the-art facility atop the south parking lot adjacent to Soldier Field.

So, is a potential move literally right next door feasible given the costs? FOX 32 recently spoke with Marc Ganis, CEO of Chicago-based Sports Corp.

"The short answer to that is they can do it! The NFL will be very active partners with them," Ganis said.

There are estimates a new stadium could cost upwards of $2 billion. Illinois State Representative Kam Buckner, who worked with the Chicago Cubs during the renovation of Wrigley Field back in 2012, says both the state and the city can be financial partners to the Bears, if the team is sincere in its desire to stay.

"The first step in this is the Bears committing to the mayor and to the city of Chicago that they want to be here and what that looks like to me is that if the Bears want to marry Chicago, they can’t date other people," Buckner said.

There is, though, strong opposition to the plan from Chicago’s Friends of the Parks organization. Buckner believes an eco-friendly design will go a long way toward appeasing environmentalists along with transparency in the deal-making.

"This needs to not be done behind closed doors. I think it has to happen with the help of Springfield and the business community and all those folks in this conversation, but the public in Chicago have to be the centerpiece of the conversation," Buckner said.

Despite the obstacles, it’s the loyal fanbase that might just pave the way for the Bears to stay in Chicago.

"They have one of the greatest markets in the country, arguably the best for NFL football. They’re the only team here, unlike the two teams in New York and LA, and there is a long-standing fanbase and corporate fanbase that would love to have a building like this and be able to support it and support the Bears," said Ganis.