Chicago Fire Shares First Look at Design of Proposed $650M ‘Fortress’ Planned for The 78 on Chicago River

Arts & Entertainment

Chicago Fire Shares First Look at Design of Proposed $650M ‘Fortress’ Planned for The 78 on Chicago River

Patty Wetli | June 17, 2025, 12:10 pm

“We are creating a fortress for our team and a home for our fans,” said Dave Baldwin, Chicago Fire FC president of business operations. A rendering of the proposed stadium’s west facade shows the design’s nod to Chicago's warehouses. (Courtesy Chicago Fire FC and Gensler)

Two weeks after announcing a plan to build a privately funded $650 million stadium on the South Branch of the Chicago River, the Chicago Fire has released new renderings of the proposed arena.

Intended as a centerpiece of Related Midwest’s long-gestating 62-acre South Loop development “The 78,” the 22,000-seat stadium will be designed by Gensler Architectural Services, the team announced.

The look of the brick, steel and glass structure is meant to reflect Chicago’s historic warehouses, according to the team, while also incorporating riverfront views and open public plazas.

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“This stadium is adding to Chicago’s iconic skyline, so I want it to look timeless,” said Joe Mansueto, team owner, in a statement. “It will look like it’s always belonged here, but with the modern innovations required for a world-class soccer club.”

According to a spokesperson for the Fire, “bird-friendly elements are being considered" as part of the design.

The spokesperson didn't have any specifics about which elements or materials might be incorporated, particularly when it comes to the façade’s glass.

Given Chicago’s position along a major migratory bird flyway, and the river and lakefront’s use by both resident and migratory birds, conservationists have advocated for stronger bird-friendly building requirements to reduce collisions. Rather than an ordinance that would have made such protections mandatory, bird-friendly options were given greater weight in Chicago's sustainability guidelines.

The stadium project is expected to break ground by early 2026, with an anticipated opening in time for the 2028 Major League Soccer season.

Mansueto founded the financial services firm Morningstar in 1984 and currently serves as the company’s executive chairman. He became a partial owner of the Fire in 2018 and sole owner in 2019.

MLS Commissioner Don Garber dubbed the Fire’s stadium plan “one of the most ambitious” in Major League Soccer history.

The team, founded in 1997, has been playing its home matches at Soldier Field since 2020.

(This article has been updated with comment on bird-friendly design plans.)

A rendering of the proposed Chicago Fire stadium, which is being planned as an anchor of "The 78," Related Midwest's 62-acre development of a former rail yard on the South Branch of the Chicago River. (Courtesy Chicago Fire FC and Gensler)The proposed stadium's seating will include a "supporters section": room for approximately 2,000 die-hard fans on safe-standing bleachers, the team said. (Courtesy Chicago Fire FC and Gensler)A rendering of the proposed stadium's steel canopy and bowl, designed to bring seats closer to the action and create a more intimate experience, according to the team. (Courtesy of Chicago Fire FC and Gensler)A rendering of the proposed stadium's configuration for concerts and other non-soccer events. (Courtesy Chicago Fire FC and Gensler)