Chicago Fire Football Club has unveiled plans for a new US$650 million stadium on a long-vacant parcel of land in Chicago’s South Loop neighbourhood.

The open-air venue will be built specifically for soccer (football) on a nine-acre portion of ‘The 78,’ a 62-acre vacant railyard site bound by two major roads and the Chicago River located just south of the city’s downtown.

The Fire’s team owner will privately finance the 22,000-seat stadium, according to the club. The team is targeting completion in time for the 2028 Major League Soccer (MLS) season. The development has seen multiple false starts over the past decade, but the recent investment announcement is expected to anchor the project.

Global architecture firm Gensler (US) will design the stadium, which will feature a canopy over seating areas and a natural grass pitch.

While stadium construction will be privately funded, major public infrastructure upgrades are required to prepare the site. These include relocating existing rail lines, reinforcing the riverfront seawall, and installing water, sewer and power lines. Related Midwest, the site’s Chicago-based developer, is expected to seek support from the city through a pre-approved $450 million tax-increment financing (TIF) district to fund these works.

The stadium would have direct access to multiple Chicago Transit Authority lines at Roosevelt Station and could be linked to water taxi service along the river. Additional elements of the broader development are set to include housing, commercial space and an extension of the Chicago Riverwalk.

City officials have signalled early support for the project, which they say could revitalise the underutilised site. A community engagement process is expected in the coming months, with further renderings and project details to be shared.

Construction is expected to begin in late 2025 or early 2026, though no contractor has yet been named.