The Chicago Fire has won final approval to build a 22,000-seat soccer stadium just south of the Loop business district, paving the way for the city’s first new professional sports stadium since the 1990s.
Plans by the Major League Soccer club to put an approximately $750 million stadium within The 78, Related Midwest’s mixed-use megadevelopment along the Chicago River between the South Loop and Chinatown, were approved by the full City Council.
That was the last hurdle required to change zoning on the site to allow for a stadium on the 62-acre site, following approvals this month by the Chicago Plan Commission and the City Council’s zoning committee.
A new soccer stadium could be the first in a series of significant moves involving Chicago teams and commercial real estate in the years to come as sports franchises seek new homes.
Fire owner Joe Mansueto, the billionaire founder of Morningstar, has said he wants to start construction of the Gensler-designed stadium by next year and start playing games there by 2028.
The stadium will be privately funded, but it is unclear how many tax dollars will be provided to create roads and other infrastructure to support the stadium and the broader Related Midwest real estate project.
When the stadium is completed, it will represent the first time that a pro sports team in Chicago has moved into a new home since the United Center, home to the NBA’s Chicago Bulls and the NHL’s Chicago Blackhawks, debuted in 1994.
Major League Baseball’s Chicago White Sox opened their ballpark, now known as Rate Field, in 1991.
Wintrust Arena opened in the South Loop as the home arena for the DePaul University men’s and women’s basketball teams in 2017. It also is now home to the Chicago Sky, but the WNBA franchise didn’t move games there until 2024.
Teams seek new digs
Approval for a Fire stadium comes as the White Sox and the NFL’s Chicago Bears are on the hunt for new stadiums.
The White Sox have talked with Related Midwest about building a new ballpark on The 78, but 3rd Ward Alderman Pat Dowell has said she opposes having two sports venues on that site.
The Bears have vacillated between wanting to build a domed stadium near their current Soldier Field home along the Chicago lakefront — also now home to Fire games — or on the site of the former Arlington International Racecourse horse-racing venue in the northwest suburb of Arlington Heights.
Meanwhile, the two teams that own and occupy the United Center are planning a massive residential, retail and entertainment district around the Near West Side arena.
Related Midwest first won city approval for a mixed-use plan for The 78 with as many as 10,000 residences, along with offices, restaurants, retail, entertainment and other uses. The project was named for its sheer size, which the developer said will make it large enough to become the city’s 78th neighborhood.
The Fire disclosed plans to build within The 78 in June. Renderings and other details followed that month.
“This will be the first major stadium built in Chicago in three decades, and it’s being delivered entirely through the private investment of our owner, Joe Mansueto,” Chicago Fire FC President of Business Operations Dave Baldwin said in a statement after the City Council vote. “His vision and commitment will give our club a world-class home while creating a year-round sports and entertainment destination for the entire city. Beyond Chicago Fire matches, the stadium will attract global concerts and events, creating thousands of jobs, fueling economic growth, and driving new energy into the South Loop.
“We’re grateful to the residents, community members, and public leaders whose support and input have shaped this project. With their partnership, we remain on track to open in time for the 2028 MLS season. This is more than just a stadium — it’s a catalyst for the growth of both our club and Chicago.”