SOM shared with AN renderings of a speculative NFL stadium proposal for the Bridgeport neighborhood of Chicago.

Visuals show a new Chicago Bears stadium where, today, the Chicago White Sox stadium is located.

A spokesperson for SOM affirmed that the Bears stadium proposal is “exploratory.”

Renderings show the Bears stadium as a large oval bowl faced with a lattice of sorts.

A tranche of new housing and commercial space faced in brick across the Dan Ryan Expressway would accompany the stadium’s construction. (The land is publicly owned.)

This facet of the exploratory proposal entails widening existing bridges and adding a new bridge over the expressway to Bronzeville, which would “support existing businesses, and improve accessibility,” SOM said.

The White Sox franchise considered relocating to the South Loop, into a new complex designed by Gensler and HOK.

In 2024, the franchise shared a plan for a new professional soccer stadium, in the baseball stadium’s place, also designed by Gensler.

In September, the White Sox shared renderings of a new stadium complex designed by AECOM on Chicago’s West Side next to a railyard. As of now, no decision has been made as to where the White Sox will play next.

The speculative Chicago Bears stadium by SOM would keep the Bears within city limits, instead of the franchise moving to Arlington Heights, a Chicago suburb, by Manica; or further afield in Gary, Indiana. (Gary officials are stumping hard for the move.)

SOM noted that the Bridgeport site’s access to parking and connections with the CTA, Metra, and Dan Ryan Expressway make it well suited to host an NFL stadium. 

“Our conceptual vision builds on the idea of the White Sox leaving Bridgeport and seeks to extend the neighborhood’s extraordinary sports legacy,” SOM continued, “pairing a new home for the Bears with a district that serves the surrounding community 365 days a year.”

Additionally, community pushback in Bridgeport is mounting against a proposal by Amtrak and White Sox co-owner Justin Ishbia to build a new maintenance facility near Rate Field.