A new beginning kicks off for the Chicago Fire FC soccer team, as the franchise was set Tuesday to break ground on a new stadium in planned development known as The 78 in the South Loop.
Soccer VIPs, along with Mayor Brandon Johnson, will put their ceremonial shovels in the soil at 2 p.m.
The organizers of the groundbreaking noted that it has been over three decades since the city saw a new major stadium development. The United Center was the last major one, having opened in August 1994 to replace the Chicago Stadium.
Organizers called the groundbreaking for the Chicago Stadium a "historic moment for Chicago sports."
The 78 is a long-undeveloped 62-acre parcel of land near Roosevelt Road and Clark Street along the South Branch of the Chicago River. The land has been dubbed "The 78" for its potential to become the city's 78th official community area.
In about two years, the new Chicago Fire stadium will mark a change to the landscape there -- open-air, with seats for 22,000.
While fans will mainly flock to the stadium for soccer games, the stadium will reportedly also host rugby matches, concerts, trade shows, and other events.
But not everybody is so excited about the stadium and The 78 development. On Monday, people who live and work nearby shared fears that the stadium development could lead to community displacement.
"When there's not transparency, when there's no inclusion, our communities start going backwards," Ald. Byron Sigcho-Lopez (25th) said at a news conference Monday. "And I'll tell you, here on the South Side, on the Southwest Side, and Chinatown and surrounding areas, South Shore, for way too long, we see what business as usual does in our communities."
Sigcho-Lopez was joined by a group who want the city to commit to protecting affordable housing in the area. There is concern that The 78 development could negatively impact nearby Ping Tom Memorial Park, small businesses particularly in the Chinatown area, and longtime residents who could be pushed or priced out of the area.
The group have formed a coalition to create a community benefits agreement that they hope will be signed.
The $750 million Chicago Fire stadium will be privately funded by the owner of the Chicago Fire.
In 2024, the Chicago White Sox also floated a plan for a stadium on The 78 grounds, but this has not been publicly discussed for some time. In a Chicago Tribune report in October of last year, the White Sox were cited as saying they were still considering building a new ballpark in The 78.