Rethinking Stadium Development
Win/Win: The New Game Plan for Urban Stadiums
Multiple professional sports teams in Chicago are pursuing new development simultaneously. This is a unique moment for our city, and a chance to rethink how we might craft a win-win for our teams and our communities.
The Chicago Architecture Center brought together civic leaders, business executives, architects, and urban planners to understand what this convergence of new stadium planning means.
Over three months, we studied stadium developments nationwide and analyzed what worked and what failed. We partnered with research experts in economics, sports-related development, tax policy, and public policy who provided critical analysis. We interviewed team officials and representatives, as well as developers, designers, and consulting firms with experience in this specialty industry.
The resulting report, “Win/Win: The New Game Plan for Urban Stadiums” introduces what we are terming “The Chicago Model” which follows a simple recipe: teams we love, playing in stadiums we love, anchoring communities we love.
WIN/WIN IN THE NEWS:
- New report outlines how Chicago stadium projects can be most successful | CBS News | November 26, 2025
- Navigating the future of Chicago’s stadiums with Eleanor Gorksi | The Fran Spielman Show | November 26, 2025 (available on Apple Music, Spotify, Chicago SunTimes)
- Chicago Architecture Center report outlines how city can score with new stadium developments | Chicago SunTimes | November 25, 2025
- Chicago Architecture Center wades into the city’s sports-venue funding pile-up | Chicago Business Journal | November 19, 2025
- Chicago’s venue situation gets a civic-minded approach | Sports Business Journal | November 17, 2025
- Chicago Architecture Center’s New Game Plan For Chicago’s Stadiums | Newcity | November 7, 2025
- Chicago leaders pitch new approach to stadium district planning amid ongoing negotiations | Sports Business Journal | November 7, 2025
- Stadium task force says Chicago is reacting, not planning — and needs to flip the script | Crain's Chicago Business | November 6, 2025
- WBBM NewsRadio | November 6-7, 2025
(*Note: some articles require a paid subscription)
Stadium Working Group:
- Robert S. Rivkin * SVP and Chief Legal Officer, United Airlines (Working Group Chair)
- Kara Bachman, Executive Director, Chicago Sports Commission
- Kemena Brooks, Chief of Staff, Chicago Housing Authority
- Andre Brumfield * Cities Sector Leader, Principal, Gensler
- Erin Lavin Cabonargi, Managing Director, Urban ReSolve
- Philip Clement, President & CEO, World Business Chicago
- Marilynn Gardner, President & CEO, Navy Pier
- Sean Garrett, President & CEO, United Way of Metro Chicago
- Christy George, President & CEO, Intersect Illinois
- Jack Lavin, President & CEO, Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce
- Dan Lurie, President & CEO, Metropolitan Planning Council
- Juan Gabriel Moreno * President/Founder, JGMA
- Farzin Parang, Executive Director, BOMA/Chicago
- David Reifman, Partner & Chair of Real Estate Practice, Croke Fairchild
- Jonathan Safron, Attorney, Swanson, Martin & Bell
- Adam Semel * Partner, Skidmore Owings Merrill
- Jeff Shapack * Founder & CEO, Shapack Partners
- Danielle Tillman * Managing Principal, bKL Architecture
- Tom Tunney, Former Alderman
- Bill Williams * Founder, KMW Communities
- Ernie Wong, Founding Principal and President, site design group ltd.
*Trustee of Chicago Architecture Center
Chicago Architecture Center Facilitators:
- Eleanor Gorski, President & CEO
- Julie Burros, Director of Executive Affairs
- Michael Wood, Director of Civic and Industry Affairs
- Jeff Leitner, Facilitator, Leitner Insights
