Planning for Chicago's future requires Burnham-style vision--and a big pair of green-tinted glasses "It won't be easy, at least if one controversial development -- Toyota Park, the 20,000-seat stadium that is home to the Chicago Fire soccer team -- offers any indication. Opened in 2006 at 71st Street and Harlem Avenue in southwest suburban Bridgeview, the stadium is a poster child for short-sighted, car-oriented development. It sits amid a sea of 8,000 parking spaces. There are no bike racks or bus shelters. It's even named for a car company. Though he doesn't question the stadium's location, Blankenhorn considers it one of the region's biggest recent regional planning mistakes. "There was no thought of how people could get to Toyota Park by public transportation," he says. But Bridgeview Mayor Steve Landek defends the stadium, which is now served by express buses that link it to the CTA's Orange Line. Public transit amenities, including bike racks and bus shelters, will be added, he says. Most important, in his view, the stadium changes the image of his suburb from gritty warehouses to glamorous sporting events. "This is the entree for the southwest suburbs to say, 'We can do it too,' " he says."
Public transport does seem to be an afterthought at TP. Easily solved by rerouting the orange line to it though, instead of Ford City.
You know, I'm not defending people here and saying the public transportation setup is optimal by any regards, but they did set up that express bus service. And let's face it, it doesn't make a ton of fiscal sense to extend an el line to a 20,000 seat stadium that between soccer and concerts, even comes close to reaching that capacity, what, 25 days a year? Here's a list of some largely attended venues in Chicago that also are not convieniently served by an El line (as defined by me as within two blocks of the venue)... Soldier Field McCormick Place Oak Street Beach North Avenue Beach Lincoln Park Zoo The United Center The Museum Campus etc...
Until they pave the rest of the lot and introduce some kind of traffic coordination after the games, I wouldn't consider it a car-friendly facility either.
Someone should tell this idiot that offers of public funding are hard to come by for a league that spent it's first ten years operating in the red. You can't always have your cake and eat it too.
Yeah, but Toyota Park isn't even within a mile of the Orange Line (8 blocks), it's more like 3 miles (32 blocks). But come on....even when I take the shuttle bus...I also have to walk almost 4 blocks. Why? Because the bus drops you off at the corner of 71st and Harlem? The cops also don't let cross the street to walk through the parking lot....nope. It's a pretty dumb move and I don't understand it.
The alternates were worse. I guess you'll just have to suck it up until soccer gets popular enough to demand free land & stadiums from cities of their choice.
Go back to post #1 and read what it says...bad idea, bad planning, bad transportation, bad location. Just because you can't get free land and stadiums doesn't give them the right to screw it all up ! When this opportunity came up they did a poor job of evaluating both the "up" and the "down" side.
You're obviously a ********ing idiot. If that gets censored, you're a **********ing idiot only replace the ph with an f. So if Bridgeview wants to build a stadium they don't have the right to choose where it is in their own town? Like I said, this sockpuppet is a ********ing idiot.
A ton of effort was made to keep the stadium in the city various sites were looked at but the simple fact is the city could care less and did not want the stadium in the city even though AEG was willing to fund the stadium themselves! For example at one point building it next to the Sox's stadium was in the running but the owner of the Sox nixed the idea of a privately funded stadium in his publicly funded parking lot... Now how tragic is it that we MAY have the Olympics here and as a will build a temporary soccer stadium that in turn will be torn down...great use of our tax dollars and great planning there...seriously if the city had worked with the Fire and AEG chances are the stadium would have been in Chicago helping to revitalize and bring money into a Chicago neighborhood. Don't blame the Fire, AEG for lack of planning blame the city.
No, they definitely evaluated the location...this was the best they could do. It's not Bridgeview's or the Fire's fault that no one else stepped up. Hey, if it's so easy....why don't you go find us a nice location in the city and the 100 million dollars+ to pay for it. No one is stopping you.
You keep talking like you have inside sources and I'd be curious to hear where you're getting your info. Peter Wilt himself said that the city was pretty accommodating for a stadium in Bridgeport but that the Bridgeview offer was too good to pass up. While location obviously isn't optimal, the quality of stadium is significantly improved. If the stadium had been privately funded in the city, with or without Olympic considerations, we'd probably be looking at a Crew Stadium clone.
Stop beating around the bush and tell us how you really feel. Like I said in my prior post. You can't have your cake and eat it too. A business park in Bridgeview may not be the ideal location for most of us (hell it takes me almost an hour to get there), but hey, the Fire have their own venue and they're no longer throwing money away to rent SF for a few hours. Wow! How short-sighted of the club and league.
Here's from my perspective... If the game is at 7:30, I have to leave at 3:45 to get there right before the lots open...I have to show them my VIP parking pass and drive to my spot...then I have to set up the tailgate (I have help with this), then a group of awesome friends show up and we have lots of fun...(eat, drink, be merry, ect.) Then it's on to the game...what a beautiful field and what a great view! Game over...(we won! yeay!) on to the club for interviews and autographs... An hour or two later...the parking lot is empty...time to head home. What was the question?
Great POV. What many see as an inconvenience, you see as a blessing. I don't drive. I don't even have a car or a license but I manage to get out there in a reasonable time via the orange line and the shuttle. It may take a little longer of a commute but the money that is saved on gas (especially last summer) is far more of an advantage. I am surprised there isn't more of a demand for the shuttle bus system. For those that refuse or just don't use it, what are some of your reasons?
I use the shuttle, but I hate it at the same time. I hate having to pretty much make a run from the stadium to the bus without having very much to finish socializing or helping with clean up. Also, in addition to the gas money saved, let's not forget the fifteen dollars to park on an unpaved lot.
It's within walking distance to the Super 8 Hotel in Bridgeview. And one route take you past a liquor store.
I thought Wilt said that the City offered the Fire the land, but not to build the stadium. AEG didn't want to spend any money to build their concert venue, I mean soccer specific stadium. The shiesters in Bridgeview were the only ones willing to do that. Once AEG got their stadium guess what they sold the Fire. Looks like AEG got their cake, ate it, and then took a dump on the Fire.
The olympic stadium would have been ideal. They could have kept the lower tier as permanent seats and dig in around the athletic track. basically a smaller version of Manchester City's stadium.