Brandon Johnson Floats Taxpayer Assist for Chicago Fire

Chicago Fire owner Joe Mansueto pitched his proposed South Loop soccer stadium as a privately financed alternative to the public subsidy battles that often accompany major sports venues. But Chicago City Hall’s latest proposal shows taxpayers will still have plenty invested in the surrounding project.

Mayor Brandon Johnson asked the City Council on Wednesday to approve a $425 million tax increment financing package tied to infrastructure improvements at The 78, the long-stalled 62-acre megadevelopment site along the South Branch of the Chicago River. The Chicago Sun-Times reported that the subsidy would help unlock Mansueto’s planned $750 million, 22,000-seat soccer stadium and prepare the broader site for future development.

The package is only slightly smaller than the $450 million TIF district approved in 2017 to support infrastructure at the site controlled by Related Midwest. The development firm’s head Curt Bailey had previously suggested a substantially reduced public contribution would accompany the stadium plan.

Instead, the city is proposing nearly the same level of support, driven largely by plans for a 1,200-space underground parking garage that officials argue is essential to overcoming the site’s unusual topography and infrastructure challenges.

The TIF breakdown includes $199 million for public structures, plazas and open space, $104 million for new roads and streetscape work, $34 million for Metra-related improvements and $30 million for river wall work, the newspaper reported. Additional funding would go toward upgrades along Clark Street and Roosevelt Road.

City officials say the garage is more than event parking. Senior mayoral adviser Jason Lee described it as a foundation for future development, creating a platform capable of supporting housing and additional high-rise construction above it.

The city would own and operate the garage, with the Fire leasing spaces during matches and major events. Revenue-sharing details have not been finalized.

The proposal is a reminder of the challenge that has dogged The 78 for decades: turning one of Chicago’s largest undeveloped downtown sites into a functioning neighborhood. While Related Midwest has long marketed the property as a mixed-use district with offices, apartments and retail, much of that vision remains conceptual.

That uncertainty is fueling skepticism among neighborhood groups. Community leaders have raised concerns about traffic congestion, pedestrian access and the disappearance of a long-discussed CTA Red Line station that many viewed as critical to handling stadium crowds. Others question why taxpayers should absorb the cost of infrastructure that could ultimately support private development.

— Eric Weilbacher