Brandon Johnson

So, in other words, the bears and visitors would build a stadium that the public would own along the lakefront, which, of course, is the hottest spot for all of the state and, quite frankly, the region.

The framework that you're talking about that was...

introduced in the Senate literally mimics what already exists for Chicago, right?

The framework essentially establishes municipal sports facilities authority, though there was no revenue tie to it.

It also ensures that there's a public ownership of it, and then, of course, it commits to infrastructure.

Here's the key point, though, here.

The two other locations that have been discussed...

There's no traffic study.

There's no environmental study.

In fact, the two other studies, I'm sorry, the two other sites, here's what they are saying, that the way in which to finance a privately owned stadium, property taxpayers would have to foot the bill.

Now, if you ask an everyday Chicagoan or anyone around the area, what do you hear them complaining about?

The hotel tax?

Or property taxes.

I can guarantee you they're talking about property taxes.

And so, again, as I've said from the very beginning, we are the only city that has put forth a viable plan for a publicly owned stadium that the people of Chicago could continue to enjoy and the people of the city would own the stadium.

Or have you been told directly by the Bears that you are a viable option still?

We've been in constant conversations, working out a term sheet.

And here's the thing.

The bears have said a lot of things, right?

So let's just name that, right?