Long-term fix for Soldier Field bonds needed; taxpayers can’t be on hook when hotel tax revenue falls short, Lightfoot says – Chicago Sun-Times*

For the second straight year, the Illinois Sports Facilities Authority doesn’t have enough money to repay $415 million in outstanding debt, most of it tied to the Soldier Field renovation completed long before the Bears agreed to purchase the shuttered site of Arlington International Racecourse. The reason for the $29 million shortfall is simple: Occupancy and room rates at Chicago hotels haven’t come close to pre-pandemic levels and are not expected to fully rebound until 2024.