Editing Soldier Field (section)

==History==
[[File:Child,Mother,Father,MilitaryFamily.jpg|thumb|left|150px|Sculpture of a sailor and his family, gazing eastward over [[Lake Michigan]]]]
On December 3, 1919, Chicago-based architectural firm [[Holabird & Roche]] was chosen to design the stadium,<ref name="Rumore">{{cite news |title=Soldier Field: Timeline of events since 1924 |url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/bears/ct-cb-chicago-bears-soldier-field-timeline-20211001-5n7rs4s555dkpitlws5jzhtuy4-story.html |work=Chicago Tribune |date=October 1, 2021 |access-date=January 27, 2022 |last1=Rumore |first1=Kori |last2=Mather |first2=Marianne |archive-date=January 27, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220127175151/https://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/bears/ct-cb-chicago-bears-soldier-field-timeline-20211001-5n7rs4s555dkpitlws5jzhtuy4-story.html |url-status=live }}</ref> which broke ground on August 11, 1922.<ref>{{cite news|title=Start Work On New Municipal Stadium In Grant Park, Chicago|url=https://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/csmonitor_historic/access/311946322.html?dids=311946322:311946322&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:AI&date=Aug+16%2C+1922&author=Special+from+Monitor+Bureau&pub=Christian+Science+Monitor&desc=START+WORK+ON+NEW+MUNICIPAL+STADIUM+IN+GRANT+PARK%2C+CHICAGO|work=The Christian Science Monitor|date=August 16, 1922}}{{dead link|date=July 2024|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref> The stadium cost $13 million to construct (equivalent to ${{Inflation|US|13|1923|r=0}}&nbsp;million in {{Inflation/year|US}}), a large sum for a sporting venue at that time (in comparison, the [[Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum]] had cost less than US$1 million in 1923 dollars). On October 9, 1924, the 53rd anniversary of the [[Great Chicago Fire]], the stadium was officially dedicated as "[[Grant Park (Chicago)|Grant Park]] Stadium",<ref>[https://www.newspapers.com/article/chicago-tribune-60000-voice-citys-spir/69950747/ "60,000 Voice City's Spirit at Stadium Fete"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240207140858/https://www.newspapers.com/article/chicago-tribune-60000-voice-citys-spir/69950747/ |date=February 7, 2024 }}, ''Chicago Tribune'', October 10, 1924, p. 5</ref> although it had hosted a few events before then, including a field day for [[Chicago Police Department|Chicago police]] officers on September 6, and the stadium's first football game, between [[Louisville Male High School]] and [[Austin Community Academy High School]], on October 4.<ref name="Rumore"/> On November 22, the stadium hosted its first [[college football]] game, in which [[Notre Dame Fighting Irish football|Notre Dame]] defeated [[Northwestern Wildcats football|Northwestern University]] 13–6.<ref name="Rumore"/>

On November 11, 1925, the stadium's name was changed to '''Soldier Field''', in dedication to U.S. soldiers who had died in combat during [[World War I]]. Its formal rededication as Soldier Field was held during the 29th annual playing of the [[Army–Navy Game]] on November 27, 1926.<ref name="timeline"/><ref name=htthctr>{{cite news |url=http://archives.chicagotribune.com/1926/11/27/page/1/article/110-000-to-see-game-today |newspaper=Chicago Daily Tribune |title=110,000 to see game today |date=November 27, 1926 |page=1 |access-date=July 20, 2016 |archive-date=February 17, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170217034629/http://archives.chicagotribune.com/1926/11/27/page/1/article/110-000-to-see-game-today/ |url-status=live }}</ref> Several months earlier, in June 1926, the stadium hosted several events during the [[28th International Eucharistic Congress]], the first held in the United States. During the [[Century of Progress]] World's Fair in 1933, it served as the main stage.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-09-01 |title=A century ago, Soldier Field was born as a lakefront stadium, bolstering Chicago's image as a world-class city |url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/2024/09/01/soldier-field-opened-100-years-lakefront-stadium/ |access-date=2024-09-01 |website=Chicago Tribune |language=en-US}}</ref>

The stadium's design is in the [[Neoclassical architecture|Neoclassical]] style, with [[Doric order|Doric]] columns rising above the East and West entrances.<ref>[http://www.chicagoarchitecture.info/Building/1082/Soldier-Field.php "Soldier Field"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160207024037/http://www.chicagoarchitecture.info/Building/1082/Soldier-Field.php |date=February 7, 2016 }}, Chicago Architecture Info. Retrieved January 16, 2016.</ref> In its earliest configuration, Soldier Field was capable of seating 74,280 spectators, and was in the shape of a U. Additional seating could be added along the interior field, upper promenades, and on the large, open field and terrace beyond the north endzone,<ref name=chisun46>{{cite news |url=http://archives.chicagotribune.com/1946/04/07/page/10/ |newspaper=Chicago Sunday Tribune |title=Truman telss Chicago crowd U.S. must remain strong |date=April 7, 1946 |page=10, part 1 |access-date=July 20, 2016 |archive-date=August 17, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160817001024/http://archives.chicagotribune.com/1946/04/07/page/10/ |url-status=live }}</ref> bringing the [[seating capacity]] to over 100,000.<ref name=cmachsfd>{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=voVWAAAAIBAJ&sjid=OuYDAAAAIBAJ&pg=1516%2C7547180 |newspaper=Sydney Morning Herald |location=Australia |agency=(photo)|title=Closing meeting at Chicago's Soldier Field |date=November 25, 1962 |page=64 }}</ref>

===Chicago Bears move in===
[[File:8X10A 1961 Chicago Bears o-line practice 1.jpg|thumb|left|The [[1961 Chicago Bears season|1961 Chicago Bears]] practicing for the [[Armed Forces Benefit Football Game]], which was primarily held at Soldier Field from 1947 to 1970. The Bears permanently moved in the following year.]]

Before they moved into the stadium, the [[Chicago Bears]] had played select charity games at Soldier Field as early as {{nfly|1926}}, when they played their former crosstown rivals, the [[History of the Chicago Cardinals|Chicago Cardinals]].<ref name="Rumore"/> The Cardinals also used the stadium as their home field for their final season in the city in [[1959 Chicago Cardinals season|1959]].

In {{nfly|1971}}, the Bears moved into Soldier Field full-time, originally with a three-year commitment.<ref name=sold71ct>{{cite news |url=http://archives.chicagotribune.com/1971/05/14/page/55/article/bears-find-home-its-soldier-field |newspaper=Chicago Tribune |last=Rollow |first=Cooper |title=Bears find home; it's Soldier Field |date=March 14, 1971 |page=1, part 3 |access-date=July 20, 2016 |archive-date=February 16, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170216214101/http://archives.chicagotribune.com/1971/05/14/page/55/article/bears-find-home-its-soldier-field/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name=mjstpsf>{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=8ksaAAAAIBAJ&sjid=fygEAAAAIBAJ&pg=7322%2C1745759 |newspaper=Milwaukee Journal |title=Bears sign to play in Soldier Field |date=March 14, 1971 |page=21 |access-date=July 20, 2016 |archive-date=September 18, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180918114653/https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=8ksaAAAAIBAJ&sjid=fygEAAAAIBAJ&pg=7322%2C1745759 |url-status=dead }}</ref> The team previously played home games at [[Wrigley Field]], the home stadium of the [[Chicago Cubs]] of [[Major League Baseball]] (MLB), but were forced to move to a larger venue due to post-[[AFL–NFL merger]] policies requiring that stadium capacities seat at least 50,000 spectators as well as lighting for potential night games. The Bears had initially intended to build a stadium in [[Arlington Heights, Illinois|Arlington Heights]], but the property did not fit the league's specifications.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://chicago.cbslocal.com/2021/09/29/bears-proposal-move-to-arlington-heights-repeated-over-and-over/?amp |title=Proposal For Bears To Move To Arlington Heights Has Come Up Over And Over Again, Since Before They Moved To Soldier Field In 1971 |date=September 29, 2021 |publisher=[[WBBM-TV]] |access-date=February 3, 2022 |archive-date=February 3, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220203172620/https://chicago.cbslocal.com/2021/09/29/bears-proposal-move-to-arlington-heights-repeated-over-and-over/?amp |url-status=live }}</ref>

On September 19, 1971, the Bears played their first home game at Soldier Field, in which they defeated the [[Pittsburgh Steelers]] 17–15. In 1978, the Bears and the [[Chicago Park District]] agreed to a 20-year lease and renovation of the stadium; both parties pooled their resources for the renovation.<ref>{{cite web|last=Lugardo|first=Sara|url=http://chicago.cbslocal.com/2012/12/16/history-of-tailgating-in-chicago/|title=History of Tailgating in Chicago|publisher=[[WBBM-TV]]|date=December 16, 2012|access-date=December 16, 2012|archive-date=March 5, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160305164242/http://chicago.cbslocal.com/2012/12/16/history-of-tailgating-in-chicago/|url-status=live}}</ref> The playing surface was [[AstroTurf]] from 1971 until 1987, and was replaced with natural grass in 1988.<ref name=bgasfmbmv>{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=19FKAAAAIBAJ&sjid=w-kMAAAAIBAJ&pg=962%2C3903968 |newspaper=Schenectady Gazette |location=New York |agency=Associated Press |title=Bears' games at Soldier Field may be moved |date=August 16, 1988 |page=26 |access-date=July 20, 2016 |archive-date=September 18, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180918114700/https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=19FKAAAAIBAJ&sjid=w-kMAAAAIBAJ&pg=962%2C3903968 |url-status=live }}</ref> On February 27, 1987, Soldier Field was designated a [[National Historic Landmark]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Grant Park Stadium (Soldier Field) – National Historic Landmarks |url=https://www.nps.gov/subjects/nationalhistoriclandmarks/grant-park-stadium-soldier-field.htm |website=National Park Service |access-date=23 January 2022 |archive-date=January 23, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220123213207/https://www.nps.gov/subjects/nationalhistoriclandmarks/grant-park-stadium-soldier-field.htm |url-status=live }}</ref>

===Replacement talks===
In 1989, Soldier Field's future was in jeopardy after a proposal was created for a "McDome", which was intended to be a domed stadium for the Bears, but was rejected by the [[Illinois Legislature]] in 1990. Because of this, Bears president [[Michael McCaskey]] considered relocation as a possible factor for a new stadium. The Bears had also purchased options in [[Hoffman Estates]], [[Elk Grove Village]] and [[Aurora, Illinois|Aurora]]. In 1995, McCaskey announced that he and [[Northwest Indiana]] developers agreed to construction of an [[Family entertainment center|entertainment complex]] called "Planet Park", which would also include a new stadium. However, the plan was rejected by the Lake County Council, and in 1998, then-Chicago mayor [[Richard M. Daley]] proposed that the Bears share [[Guaranteed Rate Field|Comiskey Park]] with the [[Chicago White Sox]].<ref name="BearsHistory">{{cite web |url=http://www.bearshistory.com/lore/soldierfieldhistory.aspx |title=Soldier Field History |last=Taylor |first=Roy |date=2003 |publisher=Bearshistory.com |access-date=July 24, 2012 |archive-date=June 18, 2006 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060618034149/http://www.bearshistory.com/lore/soldierfieldhistory.aspx |url-status=live }}</ref>

===Renovations===
Beginning in 1978, the plank seating was replaced by individual seats with backs and armrests. In 1982, a new press box, as well as 60 skyboxes, were added to the stadium, boosting its capacity to 66,030. In 1988, 56 more skyboxes were added, increasing capacity to 66,946. Capacity was slightly increased to 66,950 in 1992. By 1994, however, capacity was slightly reduced to 66,944. During the renovation, seating capacity was reduced to 55,701 by building a grandstand in the open end of the U shape. This moved the field closer to both ends in order to move the fans closer to the field, at the expense of seating capacity.<ref name="timeline">{{cite web|url=http://www.chicagobears.com/tradition/soldier-field-history/historical-timeline.html|title=Historical timeline of Soldier Field|year=2009|publisher=Chicago Bears|access-date=December 18, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151222145306/http://www.chicagobears.com/tradition/soldier-field-history/historical-timeline.html|archive-date=December 22, 2015|url-status=dead}}</ref> The front row 50-yard line seats were only {{convert|55|ft}} away from the sidelines, the shortest distance of all NFL stadiums until [[MetLife Stadium]] opened in 2010 with a distance of {{convert|46|ft}}.{{Citation needed|date=February 2012}}

====2002–03 renovation and landmark delisting====
[[File:Soldier Field Chicago aerial view.jpg|thumb|Soldier Field aerial view (1988) before interior redesign]]
In 2001, the [[Chicago Park District]], which owns the structure, faced substantial criticism when it announced plans to alter the stadium with a design by [[Benjamin T. Wood]] and [[Carlos Zapata]] of Wood + Zapata in [[Boston]]. The stadium grounds were reconfigured by local architecture firm Lohan Associate, led by architect [[Dirk Lohan]], grandson of [[Ludwig Mies van der Rohe]]. The stadium's interior would be demolished and reconstructed while the exterior would be preserved in an example of [[facadism]]. A similar endeavor of constructing a new stadium within the confines of a historic stadium's exterior was done with [[Leipzig]]'s [[Red Bull Arena (Leipzig)|Red Bull Arena]], which similarly built a modern stadium while preserving the exterior of the original [[Zentralstadion (1956)|Zentralstadion]]. Fans and radio hosts, such as [[WSCR]]'s [[Mike North]], criticized the small seating capacity of the new venue, and others have criticized the Park District's lack of care to the field surface after the first seasonal freeze and a refusal to consider a new-generation artificial surface, leaving the Bears to play on dead grass.
[[File:Soldierfield2002.jpg|thumb|150px|left|Aerial view of Soldier Field during renovation, April 2002]]
On January 19, 2002, the night of the Bears' playoff loss to the [[Philadelphia Eagles]], demolition began as tailgate fires still burned in trash cans in the parking lots. The removal of 24,000 stadium seats in 36 hours by Archer Seating Clearinghouse, a speed record never exceeded since,{{Citation needed|date=July 2018}} was the first step in building the new Soldier Field. Nostalgic Bears fans recalling the team's glory seasons (especially [[1985 Chicago Bears season|1985]]), as well as some retired players, picked up their seats in the South parking lot. The foremen on the job were Grant Wedding, who installed the seats himself in 1979, and Mark Wretschko, an executive for the factory who made the new seats. As Soldier Field underwent renovation, the Bears spent the [[2002 NFL season]] playing their home games at [[Memorial Stadium (University of Illinois)|Memorial Stadium]] at the [[University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign|University of Illinois]]. On September 29, {{nfly|2003}}, the Bears played their first game at the renovated Soldier Field, in which they were defeated by the [[Green Bay Packers]], 38–23. The total funding for the renovation cost $632 million; taxpayers were responsible for $432 million while the Chicago Bears and the NFL contributed $200 million.<ref name="tribune2002">{{cite news|last1=Martin|first1=Andrew|last2=Ford|first2=Liam|last3=Cohen|first3=Laurie|title=Bears play, public pays|newspaper=Chicago Tribune|date=April 21, 2002|url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-2002-04-21-0204210349-story.html|access-date=February 7, 2022|archive-date=February 7, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220207220258/https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-2002-04-21-0204210349-story.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="baltsun2003">{{cite news|last=Chapman|first=Steve|title=No cheers for Chicago's ugly, expensive new stadium|date=September 16, 2003|newspaper=Baltimore Sun|url=https://www.baltimoresun.com/news/bs-xpm-2003-09-16-0309160073-story.html|access-date=February 7, 2022|archive-date=February 7, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220207220258/https://www.baltimoresun.com/news/bs-xpm-2003-09-16-0309160073-story.html|url-status=live}}</ref>
[[File:The Soldier Field.jpg|thumb|Soldier Field after interior rebuild, with maintained exterior below.]]
Several writers and columnists attacked the Soldier Field renovation project as an [[Aesthetics|aesthetic]], political and financial nightmare. The project received mixed reviews within the architecture community, with criticism from civic and preservation groups.<ref>{{cite news|title=Chicago Journal; Soldier Field Renovation Brings Out Boo-Birds|first=David|last=Barboza|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2003/06/16/us/chicago-journal-soldier-field-renovation-brings-out-boo-birds.html|newspaper=[[The New York Times]]|date=June 16, 2003|access-date=September 4, 2012|archive-date=December 30, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121230012838/http://www.nytimes.com/2003/06/16/us/chicago-journal-soldier-field-renovation-brings-out-boo-birds.html|url-status=live}}</ref> Prominent architect and native Chicagoan [[Stanley Tigerman]] called it "a fiasco.<ref name="field">{{cite news|title=Field of Pain|newspaper=[[Chicago Magazine]]|url=http://www.chicagomag.com/Chicago-Magazine/November-2002/Field-of-Pain/|first=Robert|last=Sharoff|date=November 2002|access-date=February 14, 2012|archive-date=April 14, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130414010937/http://www.chicagomag.com/Chicago-Magazine/November-2002/Field-of-Pain/|url-status=live}}</ref> ''[[Chicago Tribune]]'' architecture critic [[Blair Kamin]] dubbed it the "Eyesore on the [[Lake Shore Drive|Lake Shore]],"<ref>{{cite news|title=Soldier field plan: On further Review, the Play Stinks|last=Kamin|first=Blair|author-link=Blair Kamin|newspaper=[[Chicago Tribune]]|date=April 5, 2001|url=http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/chi-010405soldier,0,6775465.story|access-date=February 14, 2012|archive-date=December 31, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131231004703/http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/chi-010405soldier,0,6775465.story|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=The Monstrosity of the Midway; Mr. Mayor: Stop the Madness and Admit That the Lakefront Is No Place for the Bears|last=Kamin|first=Blair |author-link=Blair Kamin|newspaper=[[Chicago Tribune]]|date=June 11, 2001|url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/2001/06/11/the-monstrosity-of-the-midway/|access-date=February 14, 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=A tale of Hungry Bears and White Elephants|last=Kamin|first=Blair |author-link=Blair Kamin|newspaper=[[Chicago Tribune]]|date=July 11, 2001|url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/2001/07/11/a-tale-of-hungry-bears-and-white-elephants/|access-date=February 14, 2012}}</ref> while others called it "Monstrosity on the Midway" or "Mistake by the Lake".<ref>{{cite news|title=Chicago Journal; Soldier Field Renovation Brings Out Boo-Birds|last=Barboza|first=Barboza|newspaper=[[The New York Times]]|date=June 16, 2003|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2003/06/16/us/chicago-journal-soldier-field-renovation-brings-out-boo-birds.html|access-date=February 18, 2017|archive-date=March 10, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170310011723/http://www.nytimes.com/2003/06/16/us/chicago-journal-soldier-field-renovation-brings-out-boo-birds.html|url-status=live}}</ref> The renovation was described by some as if "a spaceship landed on the stadium".<ref>{{cite web |url=https://ftw.usatoday.com/2015/10/best-worst-nfl-stadiums-capacity-rankings-lambeau-field-solder-field-size-super-bowls |title=Ranking the best and worst NFL stadiums |date=October 16, 2015 |website=For The Win |language=en |access-date=September 19, 2019 |archive-date=February 24, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210224151620/https://ftw.usatoday.com/2015/10/best-worst-nfl-stadiums-capacity-rankings-lambeau-field-solder-field-size-super-bowls |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/football/bears/csac-bt-030914soldierfieldchapmancommentary,0,44019.story|title=A stadium deal that is hard to bear|last=Chapman|first=Steve|date=September 14, 2003|newspaper=[[Chicago Tribune]]|access-date=May 21, 2010|archive-date=March 12, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140312030009/http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/football/bears/csac-bt-030914soldierfieldchapmancommentary,0,44019.story|url-status=live}}</ref> Lohan responded:

<blockquote>I would never say that Soldier Field is an architectural landmark. Nobody has copied it; nobody has learned from it. People like it for nostalgic reasons. They remember the games and parades and [[tractor pull]]s and veterans' affairs they've seen there over the years. I wouldn't do this if it were the [[Parthenon]]. But this isn't the Parthenon.<ref name=field /></blockquote>

Proponents of the renovation argued it was badly needed because of aging and cramped facilities. ''[[The New York Times]]'' named the renovated Soldier Field one of the five best new buildings of 2003.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2003/12/28/arts/architecture-the-highs-the-buildings-and-plans-of-the-year.html?scp=1&sq=&st=nyt|title=Architecture: The Highs; The Buildings (and Plans) of the Year|last=Muschamp|first=Herbert|date=December 23, 2003|newspaper=[[The New York Times]]|access-date=May 21, 2010|archive-date=January 16, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140116171059/http://www.nytimes.com/2003/12/28/arts/architecture-the-highs-the-buildings-and-plans-of-the-year.html?scp=1&sq=&st=nyt|url-status=live}}</ref> Soldier Field was given an award in design excellence by the [[American Institute of Architects]] in 2004.<ref>{{cite web|last=Mayer|first=Larry|url=http://www.chicagobears.com/news/article-1/Soldier-Field-wins-prestigious-award/584E1290-7E72-4455-8A4E-3E67FB5D9764|title=Soldier Field wins prestigious award|publisher=[[Chicago Bears]]|access-date=October 7, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131230231731/http://www.chicagobears.com/news/article-1/Soldier-Field-wins-prestigious-award/584E1290-7E72-4455-8A4E-3E67FB5D9764|archive-date=December 30, 2013|url-status=dead}}</ref>

On September 23, 2004, as a result of the renovation, a 10-member federal advisory committee unanimously recommended that Soldier Field be delisted as a [[National Historic Landmark]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://eculturalresources.com/news/787.html|title=Soldier Field loses National Historic Landmark status|date=April 24, 2006|work=General Cultural Resources News|publisher=eCulturalResources|access-date=May 21, 2010|archive-date=December 5, 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091205011947/http://eculturalresources.com/news/787.html|url-status=usurped}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.preservationnation.org/magazine/story-of-the-week/2006/leveling-the-playing-field.html|title=Leveling the Playing Field|last=Murray|first=Jeanne|date=October 20, 2006|work=Preservation Magazine|publisher=National Trust for Historic Preservation|access-date=May 22, 2010|archive-date=February 23, 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100223003030/http://www.preservationnation.org/magazine/story-of-the-week/2006/leveling-the-playing-field.html|url-status=live}}</ref> The recommendation to delist was prepared by Carol Ahlgren, an architectural historian at the [[National Park Service]]'s Midwest Regional Office in [[Omaha, Nebraska]], who was quoted in Preservation Online stating, "if we had let this stand, I believe it would have lowered the standard of National Historic Landmarks throughout the country. ... If we want to keep the integrity of the program, let alone the landmarks, we really had no other recourse." The stadium lost the landmark designation on February 17, 2006.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nps.gov/history/nr/listings/20060428.HTM|title=Weekly List of Actions taken on properties: 4/17/06 through 4/21/06|date=April 28, 2006|work=National Register of Historic Places|publisher=National Park Service|access-date=May 21, 2010|archive-date=December 31, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131231002454/http://www.nps.gov/history/nr/listings/20060428.HTM|url-status=live}}</ref>

===Subsequent developments===
[[File:Soldier Field W 2022.jpg|thumb|Soldier Field in 2022 from the east]]

In May 2012, Soldier Field became the first NFL stadium to achieve [[Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design|LEED]] status, a program intended to award environmentally sustainable buildings.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.chicagobears.com/news/NewsStory.asp?story_id=8842|title=Soldier Field earns top building honor|publisher=Chicago Bears|date=May 31, 2012|access-date=July 24, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120625103306/http://www.chicagobears.com/news/NewsStory.asp?story_id=8842|archive-date=June 25, 2012|url-status=dead}}</ref>

On July 9, 2019, the [[Chicago Fire FC|Chicago Fire]] of [[Major League Soccer]] (MLS) announced an agreement with the [[Bridgeview, Illinois|Village of Bridgeview]] to release the team from their lease with [[SeatGeek Stadium]], where they had played since 2006. As a result, the Fire returned to Soldier Field for the [[2020 Major League Soccer season|2020 MLS season]].<ref>{{cite web | last=Mikula | first=Jeremy | title=Chicago Fire reach deal with Bridgeview to leave SeatGeek Stadium for $65.5 million | website=Chicago Tribune | date=2019-07-09 | url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/soccer/ct-chicago-fire-seatgeek-stadium-lease-bridgeview-20190709-ts7xrw3ydvcgthcpzrmdfikbge-story.html | access-date=2020-04-06 | archive-date=August 27, 2020 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200827033840/https://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/soccer/ct-chicago-fire-seatgeek-stadium-lease-bridgeview-20190709-ts7xrw3ydvcgthcpzrmdfikbge-story.html | url-status=live }}</ref>

On June 17, 2021, the Chicago Bears submitted a bid for the [[Arlington Park|Arlington Park Racetrack]] property, making a move from Soldier Field to a new venue more possible.<ref>{{cite web | last=Alyssa | first=Bariberi | title=Bears submit bid to purchase Arlington International Racecourse for potential new stadium | website=bearswire | date=2021-06-17 | url=https://bearswire.usatoday.com/2021/06/17/chicago-bears-submit-bid-purchase-arlington-international-racecourse/ | access-date=2021-06-18 | archive-date=June 17, 2021 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210617190158/https://bearswire.usatoday.com/2021/06/17/chicago-bears-submit-bid-purchase-arlington-international-racecourse/ | url-status=live }}</ref> On September 29, the Bears and [[Churchill Downs Incorporated]] announced that they had reached an agreement for the property.<ref>{{cite web | last=Florio | first=Mike | title=Bears announce purchase of property in Arlington Heights | website=ProFootballTalk | date=2021-09-29 | url=https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2021/09/29/bears-announce-purchase-of-property-in-arlington-heights/ | access-date=2021-09-29}}</ref>

On September 5, 2022, the [[Poa pratensis|Kentucky bluegrass]] was replaced with [[Cynodon dactylon|Bermuda grass]] after poor field conditions were noted in an August 13 preseason game.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Medina |first=Luis C. |date=September 6, 2022 |title=Chicago is Ditching Kentucky Bluegrass and Re-Sodding Soldier Field With Bermuda Grass |url=https://www.bleachernation.com/bears/2022/09/06/chicago-is-ditching-kentucky-bluegrass-and-re-sodding-soldier-field-with-bermuda-grass/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220907022650/https://www.bleachernation.com/bears/2022/09/06/chicago-is-ditching-kentucky-bluegrass-and-re-sodding-soldier-field-with-bermuda-grass/ |archive-date=September 7, 2022 |access-date=September 7, 2022 |website=Bleacher Nation}}</ref>