Illinois officials, including Governor J.B. Pritzker, expressed doubt over the NFL Chicago Bears’ proposed stadium that would require $2.3 billion in public funds. Mayor Brandon Johnson of Chicago supported Bears CEO Kevin Warren’s unveiling of the nearly $5 billion stadium plan. The stadium itself is projected to cost $3.2 billion to build, with an additional $1.4 billion earmarked for infrastructure enhancements. While the Bears committed to contributing $2.3 billion, the plan also entails $2.3 billion in public financing and refinancing of debt from previous publicly funded stadiums. Taxpayers would be responsible for financing infrastructure improvements and around $1 billion in new borrowing for the stadium. Despite assurances from Johnson that taxes would not increase to cover the costs, some members of the Democratic Party raised concerns about the proposal. Governor Pritzker emphasized that there are higher priorities for taxpayers, casting doubt on the stadium project’s feasibility. State Senate President Don Harmon echoed Pritzker’s skepticism, noting a lack of public appetite for funding a new stadium. Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch predicted that the proposal would not pass in the legislature. Fiscal watchdog Joe Ferguson criticized the plan’s viability due to the franchise’s existing debt. Sports economist J.C. Bradbury urged the Bears to fund their stadium independently and cautioned against public funding for sports venues without reliable revenue projections.
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