All together, Soldier Field will receive $587 million inrenovations that would also add new parkland and auto parking atnearby institutions, such as the Field Museum of Natural History.The facade and exterior of the stadium, long associated withChicago, would remain, but most of the interior would be gutted andrebuilt. The measure does not give any ownership interest in thestadium to the team; it will remain property of the Chicago ParkDistrict.

The tax money in question to pay for the project would come froman existing hotel tax. The fact that no new taxes need to becollected was a major selling point among the solons inSpringfield. "I've been here 26 years and every time I voted forsomething for Chicago it always costs a lot of money," Sen. VinceDemizio from Downstate Illinois was reported to say. "Finally, wedo something for the city was doesn't cost us anything."