The owners of United Center, home of the NBA’s Chicago Bulls and NHL’s Chicago Blackhawks, have unveiled plans for a $7bn (£5.43bn/€6.46bn) mixed-use development that would include a 6,000-seat theatre-style music hall.
Dubbed The 1901 Project, the scheme has been touted as the largest private investment on Chicago’s West Side. Spearheaded by the Reinsdorf and Wirtz families, respective owners of the Bulls and Blackhawks, The 1901 Project will include housing, retail, entertainment and public open space on more than 55 acres of privately owned land surrounding the arena campus.
“The 1901 Project represents a continuation of our families’ 100-years-and-counting commitment to the future of Chicago’s West Side,” said Bulls CEO, Michael Reinsdorf. “This investment will create a thriving, interconnected neighbourhood, delivering significant benefits and resources to the community we have long called home.”
The 1901 Project is a long-term, multi-phased development vision spanning an estimated 10 years. Pending the necessary approvals, the first phase of the project aims to begin in spring 2025 on property that is today surface parking lots adjacent to the arena. This initial phase will feature:
- A 6,000-seat capacity theatre-style music hall designed to be an intimate, premier venue for music, arts and cultural events, enhancing Chicago’s entertainment industry.
- A one-of-a-kind elevated park on the west side of the campus, providing more than 25 acres of public recreational and community gathering space.
- Parking facilities and improved pedestrian experience with enhanced walkability, lighting, roads and bike lanes designed to blend into the development.
- A mix of hospitality and retail options aimed at boosting local commerce and creating jobs.
“The vision for The 1901 Project is to bring impactful investment and economic opportunity to the West Side that compliments and supports its rich history and galvanises its vibrancy,” said Blackhawks CEO, Danny Wirtz. “We aim to create a development alongside our neighbours to deliver jobs, housing, commerce and community resources, creating a more prosperous future for all residents.”
Future phase development envisions housing that spans various unit sizes and includes affordable, market rate and luxury housing to ensure a mix of residential offerings for single persons and families.
Transportation enhancements will better connect the neighbourhood through multi-modal means including bike, pedestrian, car and rail enhancements. Immersed in green spaces and sustainability features as well as decorative lighting, pedestrian plazas and landscaping will also aid in community safety and accessibility.
All in, the project’s backers say the $7bn investment is set to deliver substantial economic benefits to the West Side, with an estimated $9.5bn in direct economic impact and $40m in stabilised tax revenue. The development is estimated to create approximately 63,000 construction jobs. Additionally, upon completion, The 1901 Project will support around 12,000 permanent jobs.
The vision presented yesterday (Tuesday) comes after five years of planning. The United Center, said to be the second busiest arena in the US, was developed three decades ago with no government funding. Backed by the Reinsdorf and Wirtz families, officials have said the same will be true for the new project, with no plans to request city funding or tax increment financing assistance.
“Rocky Wirtz and I long agreed that our families hold an important civic responsibility to give back to the people in our communities off the field, the court and the ice,” said Jerry Reinsdorf, co-chair of the United Center Joint Venture.
“We strive to do so through our team charity arms, but we have also sought out opportunities in the last 30 years to drive positive impact in our neighbourhoods by providing economic opportunity for the people of Chicago who live and work in the blocks surrounding our ballpark and arena. Today’s announcement builds on this effort led by both families to leave a lasting legacy on the West Side.”
Chicago has been a hotbed of sports venue development activity this year, with separate proposals for new stadia in the works for the NFL’s Bears and MLB’s White Sox.
