New Bears Stadium a Likely ‘Loser’ No Matter Where It Is
Whether it's in Chicago or Arlington Heights, a new stadium doesn't mean a big payout for the city
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Show Notes
Now that the Bears have inked a deal to buy the old Arlington racetrack in suburban Arlington Heights, fans are waiting to see if the football team will really move. The Bears ultimately want a new stadium — either on the lake or in the burbs —and it’s estimated a new stadium could cost about $2 billion. Most, if not all, of that would likely fall on taxpayers. But football stadiums don’t actually make money for cities, according to University of Chicago sports economist Allen Sanderson. In fact, he calls them “economic losers.” He explains why and what we can learn from past changes to Soldier Field.
Guest: Allen Sanderson — Professor, University of Chicago
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