http://www.dailyherald.com/news_story.asp?intid=37763135 http://www.dailyherald.com/sports/sports_story.asp?intID=37763169
http://www.dailyherald.com/news_story.asp?intid=37763135 Close up of Elgin parcels Elgin relative to Chicago Well, while I am pleased but not suprised Chicago is submitting a proposal...I don't see why that would undercut our position with the suburbs.
The METRA Milwaukee District West line goes to Elgin. Elgin Station is the 2nd to last stop, and it's at Chicago and State (IL-31). It's about 3 miles from there to State and I-90. Elgin is a VERY long way from Chicago. Express trains take about an hour to Union Station. Other trains take about 70 minutes. If they built the Star Line, it could be a good choice, as long as there were game day shuttles from the station to the stadium. I guess that line would run to Naperville, Aurora, Joliet, Hoffman Estates, near St Charles, etc, so it would hit most of the larger suburbs. Hoffman estates is out there too...they're both way way way out of the range of the Elevated lines. Looking at this map, there are a lot of new stations. There's no station at Eola in Aurora. That would have to be between Aurora Transit Center and Route 59 station. It's possible that the Elgin and Hoffman Estates stadium proposals would be related to construction of the Star Line, and therefore would involve new stations very close to the prospective stadium sites.
I really can't see them being serious about the Elgin site. I live in streamwood which is 6 miles east of elgin. randall rd is on the far west part of elgin which I would estimate is approx. about 45 miles from downtown chicago. The metra train from chicago to big timber that makes all stops takes one hour and 20 minutes. Hoffman Estates while closer, does not have any public transportaion near it.
Ok, I didn't realize that stop was also in Elgin. It's about two miles from both sites, a little less to the I-90 at Randall Rd site and a bit more to the I-90 at State site. I think that Elgin and Hoffman Estates must be interested in combining this with the Star Line. That's the only way these sites will be feasible at all.
Great God Almighty! Elgin? That is a ridiculous distance from the City. I have some friends that bought a house there and have been out a couple of times on a Saturday with moderate traffic and it took a little more than an hour by car. In time, that is 1/3 of the way to Bettendorf Iowa. Think I'm kidding? I checked mapquest, and in distance it is almost a quarter of the way to Iowa. I honestly think they should drop the name "Chicago" if the team moves that far from the City. Staying 10 miles closer to downtown Chicago, we can set up shop in Hammond, Indiana. Or, if we are willing to drive just 20 miles farther than Elgin, we can have a lakefront stadium in New Buffalo, Michigan or a cheese palace in Kenosha Wisconsin.
Those are two of the greatest places in the Mid-West. Actually, I think Chicagoland could support two teams.
If we capped each stadium off at about 10 or 12k, and it was handled appropriately, and spaced well geographically, you're probably right. That shouldn't be a primary concern, though. Not even on the radar.