Capri and GRIT Chicago Unveil $10B Bears Stadium Plan for Bronzeville Site

A group of real estate developers pitched a 100-acre sports and entertainment district centered on a 75,000-seat domed stadium in the Bronzeville neighborhood, according to the Chicago Sun-Times. The proposal arrives as the Illinois General Assembly prepares for a legislative session starting November 17, 2026, in Springfield to consider stadium funding frameworks, as Sports Business Journal reported.

Developers Expand Bronzeville Plan

The updated plan doubles the footprint of earlier proposals by incorporating the Prairie Shores apartment complex and using air rights over the McCormick Place marshalling yards, as Chicago YIMBY reported. Capri Investments’ Quintin Primo, Farpoint Development’s Scott Goodman, and Golub & Co.’s Lee Golub organized the new pitch under the banner of Grit, according to The Real Deal.

Developers project the project will generate about $135 million in annual tax revenue. The master plan includes 2,000 hotel rooms, 300,000 square feet of retail space, a 500,000-square-foot youth sports complex, and a 400,000-square-foot health and wellness center, as The Real Deal said.

Developers Offer Housing Protections

To clear hurdles regarding previous space constraints, the team intends to demolish six residential buildings at Prairie Shores only after building 1,000 replacement units, according to Chicago Sun-Times reporting. The overall development plan aims to build more than 5,000 residential units across on-site and off-site locations, as WTTW reported.

Capital partners are prepared to buy the Bears’ property in Arlington Heights, according to WTTW. The team bought the former horse-racing track for $200 million in 2023, as The Real Deal reported.

Lawmakers Debate Stadium Funding

State lawmakers are weighing House Bill 958 Senate Amendment 2, which allows municipalities in Cook County with populations over 70,000 to establish stadium authorities for publicly owned and privately financed facilities, according to Yahoo News. State Sen. Bill Cunningham, D-Chicago, said that the legislative vehicle is neutral regarding location and applies to any professional sports franchise, as Yahoo News reported.

“The bill we actually passed in the Senate would allow any municipality in Cook County with population over 70,000 to set up a stadium authority,” Cunningham told Yahoo News.

State Sen. Elgie Sims, D-Chicago, expressed support for keeping the franchise in the city while emphasizing fiscal protection for residents, according to Yahoo News.

“I want to see them in Chicago, but I also want to see that the taxpayers get the best deal possible,” Sims told Yahoo News.

State Sen. Sue Rezin, R-Morris, raised questions regarding financial exposure during a Lincoln Forum panel covered by Yahoo News.

“Ultimately, though, should we fall short on sales revenue, who’s on the hook? I do not believe that the state should be on the hook,” Rezin told Yahoo News.

Quintin E. Primo III, founder and executive chairman of Capri Investment Group, spoke during a press conference at Olivet Baptist Church, emphasizing the community connection and unique geographic location of the Bronzeville property.

Lamont Robinson, representing the ward encompassing the former Michael Reese hospital site, said that community protections and tenant rights must remain paramount in any major development.

“I want to be very clear that before you can remove, tear down Prairie Shores, you have to put the units up first,” Robinson said regarding the proposed construction sequencing.

Outgoing U.S. Representative Danny Davis has also urged the franchise to reevaluate the Bronzeville location, pointing to the historical ties and accessibility of the South Side community.

“I want to see them in Chicago forever and ever and ever because there’s so much a part of our great city,” Davis told FOX Chicago.

Illinois House Speaker Chris Welch said that the state remains open to funding infrastructure enhancements surrounding the Michael Reese parcel, provided the team commits to the location, though Governor J.B. Pritzker’s administration maintains that state funds will not be used to construct the stadium building itself.

Representatives from the McCormick Place agency, Metropolitan Pier and Exposition Authority, said that no formal commitments have been finalized regarding the ambitious megaproject.

“At this time, the Authority has not made any commitments related to the project,” an MPEA spokesperson said.

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