What was soldier field built for

Whatever the price, the move is an attractive option for the Bears, who would stand to generate huge new revenues over Soldier Field. Meanwhile, with or without the Bears, taxpayers will still be paying off debt on the Soldier Field renovation for another decade. But Costin noted a multibillion-dollar stadium would be a boon for Arlington Heights and Cook County through property taxes — something the Bears have never paid as lakefront tenants.

Know about breaking news as it happens. We follow the stories and update you as they develop. The teen was on the porch of a home in the block of West West End Street when someone shot him in the face. More than merely affecting our sports, the virus has deepened the political divide in our country. DeRozan finished with 26 points against his former team. Alvory C. The LaSalle County coroner said "there was no evidence of antemortem injury, such as manual strangulation, an assault or altercation, sharp, blunt or gunshot injury, infection, tumor, natural disease, congenital abnormality, or significant drug intoxication.

In his book Chicago's Cubs, author Jonathan Alter captured the discussion:. You're a businessman. Do what you have to do. By the way, our lawyers say you can't take the name Chicago with you out there. We'd have to take you to court. That could take years. I wonder how many people will come out to see The Arlington Heights Bears? I wonder how excited the network people will be about broadcasting The Arlington Heights Bears? You're a fine businessman, George. You make the call. In , the team and the Chicago Park District, which owned and operated Soldier Field, reached an agreement.

In exchange for a year lease from the Bears, Soldier Field would be renovated over the course of the following three seasons. Individual seats replaced benches, the stadium was reconfigured into a bowl from a horseshoe, and new skyboxes, press boxes, concession areas and restrooms were constructed. These renovations were completed prior to the season. Although the stadium was much more functional than it was prior to these upgrades, terms of the lease agreement would haunt the team and drive it along its path to finding an alternative to the then year old building.

Stadium peace lasted from the completion of Soldier Field renovations through the Bears' remarkable Super Bowl run. Just a few years after the new lease was signed, however, a new motivator for a redesigned Bears stadium came into play. That force was the almighty dollar. During the late 's, teams that built skyboxes and negotiated leases which allowed them to share concession, parking and advertising revenues found financial windfalls, while teams that did not fell short. The Bears' lease with the Chicago Park District gave them only a portion of the revenues from concessions, and none from parking or signage within the stadium.

As other teams maximized these revenue streams, those without begged for renegotiations of leases or for new stadiums. In the Norges Ski Club, which still exists and operates in the Chicago suburb of Fox River Grove, first created a ski jump at the stadium, perhaps inspired by the previous year's story ski jump had been built by the U.

Central Ski Association. The competitions at first measured distance but over time also grew to emphasize trick skiing. Roosevelt made his only Midwestern speaking appearance during his fourth and final reelection campaign. It was attended by over , with another , trying to get in but being denied admission. Both midget and stock car races were held within the field for years to come. President Harry Truman made a trip to Soldier Field on June 19, to preside over the event marking the 75th anniversary of the Shriners, the first event at the stadium ever to be televised.

The big anniversary celebration included one of the largest parades in the city's history, with 15, members of the fraternal order from 1, chapters and bands.

The parade covered three miles and lasted five hours culminating at the field. But perhaps the largest event ever held at the field was the Marian Year tribute of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Chicago.

It's estimated that , attendees were inside the stadium itself while another 80, listened outside on loudspeakers. Civil rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. In , he organized the " Mixed Breed Dog Show. They'd originally intended to build a stadium in northwest suburban Arlington Heights but settled on moving into Solider Field instead. Some renovations were required first, including new end zone seating on the north which created a separate "North Field" section, which would later go on to host tennis tournaments.

The Bears extended their lease with the Chicago Park District in for another twenty years, and began replacing Soldier Field's old plank seating with more modern stadium seating In another landmark moment for Chicago synergy, on October 13, , David D. Meilahn made the first-ever commercial cell phone call from the field on a Motorola DynaTAC, a major turning point in communications history. The Chicago-based handset and radio equipment manufacturer was proud to show off its new technology on home turf.

Perhaps the greatest landmark moment associated with the Bear's tenure happened with the Super Bowl , with the hit song "Super Bowl Shuffle" burned into the memory of a generation. In , , spectators attended a wartime visit by President Franklin Roosevelt and thousands turned out to hear evangelist Billy Graham in Soldier Field is also the birthplace of the first Special Olympic Games in The Chicago Bears moved from Wrigley Field and began using the facility in and played their first game in the renovated Soldier Field on September 29, Soldier Field, when completed, contained 74, permanent bleacher seats made of fir planking.

An additional 30, spectator temporary bleacher seats could be placed along the interior of the field, upper promenades and on the large open terrace beyond the north end zone.

October 9, — The official opening day — which coincided with the 53rd anniversary of the Chicago Fire—of the Municipal Grant Park Stadium. Within a year it was renamed Soldier Field. The first event held in Soldier Field was a police meet featuring 1, police athletes and reportedly drew 90, spectators.