Ald. Hopkins Rejects Proposed Lincoln Yards Soccer Stadium

CHICAGO — Ald. Brian Hopkins (2nd) has rejected plans for the Lincoln Yards Soccer stadium on the city's North Side. In a statement Tuesday, the alderman said said he's requested that the proposed stadium site be repurposed as open and recreational park space.

Hopkins also said he won't support developer Sterling Bay's proposed entertainment district, which would be co-owned by LiveNation. The plans for the district included multiple venues with seating capacities of 3,000 to 6,000.

"The Entertainment District will be eliminated from a revised plan, and replaced by restaurants, theaters, and smaller venues that will be scattered throughout the site. LiveNation will have no ownership interest in any of these venues," Hopkins said in the statement.

The alderman said the stadium and entertainment district's replacements will be included in a newly-revised Master Site Plan that will be submitted to the community for review. The plan will include "sufficient technical detail and exhibits on urban design principals (height, massing, floor area ratio), access and circulation routes," Hopkins said.

"It will include a statement of design standards and guidelines that will shape the character of the structures, and details regarding the specific programming of the recreational space (e.g., baseball field, soccer pitch, running track)," the alderman said.

In a statement, Sterling Bay thanked community members for sharing their ideas.

"While much of the feedback has been positive, Alderman Hopkins and residents have been very clear: they do not want a stadium. And we want to say: we heard you loud and clear," Sterling Bay said. "We have removed the stadium and broken up the entertainment district, allowing for assorted smaller venues throughout Lincoln Yards where all independent music operators will have the opportunity to participate."

The developer said it's "also heard the desire for improved transit and infrastructure in the area, a desire we share."

"Under our updated plan, the proposed Concord/Wisconsin Bridge will now be for both vehicular and pedestrian access. This bridge, along with the renovated Cortland Bridge, new Armitage bridge, new Dominick bridge, and extended 606, creates five viable routes across the Chicago River," Sterling Bay said in its statement. "Further, Alderman Hopkins has received a commitment from CDOT that they will swiftly pursue the realignment of Elston/Armitage/Ashland."

Concept planning for the intersection is slated to be completed by the second quarter of this year, Hopkins said. CDOT will then proceed with the design, engineering and construction phases "expeditiously," the alderman said.

"Upon completion, the resulting congestion relief is projected to mirror the remarkable success of the reconfiguration of an equally complex intersection at Damen/Elston/Fullerton," Hopkins said in his statement. "Similar benefits were realized by the intersection redesign and bridge removal at Belmont and Western."

The 2nd Ward office commissioned its latest survey to receive residents' feedback on Sterling Bay’s revised proposal. As of Monday, the survey had received 870 responses.

Hopkins said the process to refine the Lincoln Yards plans could take "many years."

Top image: early rendering of proposed Lincoln Yards stadium, courtesy of Sterling Bay.

Also read:

• Sterling Bay Reveals Latest Lincoln Yards Plans To Community
• Lincoln Yards Development Raises Concerns About Traffic, Density
• Latest Lincoln Yards Survey Reveals Drop In Community Support