Mayor Brandon Johnson has signaled support for public investment around a potential new domed Bears stadium on the lakefront.

While the team hasn’t yet released plans, Bears president Kevin Warren stated they would commit over $2 billion to transform the Museum Campus and revamp the surrounding infrastructure — all of which Warren hopes could begin as soon as this year.

But Friends of the Parks is playing defense as the building would seem to violate the lakefront protection ordinance.

Gin Kilgore, interim executive director of Friends of the Parks, said the organization has begun to meet with Warren about the plans but that they are concerned the project is moving too quickly, thus diminishing the time allowed to consider all options.

“It's very hard to imagine a proposal like this, although again, it's very vague so far,” she said. “What is troubling is sometimes it feels that people come in, you know, powerbrokers, billionaires think, well, maybe the rules don’t quite apply to us.”

The Bears have already suggested the proposal would increase park space by 20%. Kilgore said there were many similar ideas put forward but not enough details yet, adding that this is the city’s chance to “use our creativity.”

“This is an exciting opportunity to talk about, ‘What does it mean to have our lakefront? How do we protect it? Where else is community development needed?’”

Intentions to turn the stadium into an entire entertainment district have also raised questions about where that will fit given the restrictions of the Lakefront Protection Ordinance. 

State Rep. Kam Buckner, D-Chicago, whose district includes Soldier Field and the area surrounding it, has long been a supporter of keeping the Bears in the city and says he is open to exploring all options.

“We've got to hear more from the Bears about what their desire is,” he said. “The only way that any of this works is with two things. It’s with sunlight, and scrutiny. Right? If we’re talking about building a stadium, if you’re talking about hotels, and restaurants, you know, where else can that go?”

He mentioned talks of an area of the Bronzeville lakefront as one option while Friends of the Parks has suggested the Michael Reese site.

Buckner said he anticipates the team will have proposals to show when they meet with the General Assembly in Springfield this week.