The Chicago Fire no longer will have to play their home matches at SeatGeek Stadium in Bridgeview starting next season.
The team and village on Tuesday announced an agreement for the Fire to amend their lease at the soccer-specific stadium in the southwest suburb.
Under the terms, the Fire will pay $65.5 million to break their lease, which originally ran through the 2036 season. As part of the deal, the Fire will put money toward a “multisport recreation and entertainment center” in Bridgeview.
“SeatGeek Stadium will now have year-round availability for consistent high-revenue-generating entertainment events for years to come,” Bridgeview Mayor Steven Landek said in a statement. “Additionally, the expanded recreation venue will create even more growth opportunities for the village.
“I’m extremely excited about the benefits this agreement will bring to our community and for the future of a sports team that all of us in Bridgeview and the region have come to love.”
The Fire will pay $10 million upfront plus $5 million for upgrades to the existing soccer facilities around SeatGeek Stadium. The remaining balance of $50.5 million will be paid through 2036. The team will continue to train at the facility, and the club’s youth academy also will be based in Bridgeview.
The Fire reportedly have been seeking a return to Soldier Field, where they played their home matches from 1998 to 2001 and from 2003 through part of 2006. In 2002, the Fire played at North Central College in Naperville while Soldier Field was being renovated.
Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s office declined to comment on whether the Fire are close to finalizing a deal to play at Soldier Field.
“Soldier Field is a world-class stadium that hosts an array of high-profile sporting events each year,” the office said in a statement. “While the Chicago Park District welcomes opportunities to bring new events to Soldier Field, there is currently no agreement with Chicago Fire.”
The Fire had been negotiating with Bridgeview for several months. During a meeting May 7, the village board unanimously approved a memorandum of understanding between the team and the village that called for an amendment of the stadium lease.
More details were revealed during a village board meeting July 3. As part of the agreement package discussed in that meeting, Bridgeview will receive a corporate guarantee from Chicago Fire Soccer Holdings LLC, a secure escrow of about $3.5 million replenished annually and a first lien mortgage on the CIBC Fire Pitch located in the North Center neighborhood.
The Fire moved to SeatGeek Stadium, formerly known as Toyota Park, during the 2006 season.
When the stadium opened in 2006, Landek told local taxpayers they wouldn’t have to foot the bill, saying concerts and games would pay the debt taken to construct the facility. But a 2012 Tribune investigation found the stadium saddled the village with millions in debt, enriching political insiders and contributing to rising property taxes for residents.
“We are grateful to Mayor Landek and the residents of Bridgeview for our partnership,” Fire majority owner and Chairman Andrew Hauptman said in a statement. “We’re glad we are able to strengthen our relationship while exposing even more fans to our club and world-class soccer in a more centrally located Chicago stadium. Today marks the next chapter in the growth of the club and the opportunity to play for more fans than ever in one of the world’s great cities.”
