Chicago mayor says he will ‘stand with billionaires’ despite progressive outcry over city's new NFL stadium

Windy City Mayor Brandon Johnson unveiled a proposal for the construction of a new Bears' stadium in Chicago that resulted in backlash from his progressive colleagues.

Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson defended the nearly $5 billion proposal for a new NFL football stadium and stood by the billionaire Chicago Bears owner last week. 

When questioned during an NBC Sports interview about how his supporters might view the proposal as "inconsistent" with his progressive agenda, Johnson responded, "This project is aligned with my vision for the people of Chicago. I've said from the very beginning that the best way to build a better, stronger, safer Chicago is we have to invest in people. We have to invest in young people in particular."

"Having the opportunity to stand with billionaires, you could not have convinced me a decade ago that I would have the opportunity to do that," he continued.

The NFL team plans to spend $4.6 billion on building a new enclosed stadium along with an improved lakefront area, half of which would be paid by the state’s taxpayers. According to The Chicago Tribune, the Bears would pay $2 billion alongside a $300 million NFL loan. Taxpayers would be on the hook for the other $2.3 billion, which includes infrastructure projects to the surrounding area. 

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Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson wants to keep the Chicago Bears in the Windy City.  (Terrence Antonio James/Chicago Tribune/Tribune News Service via Getty Images, (Photo by John Smolek/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images))

Despite Johnson’s optimistic outlook and defense of the proposal, some of his progressive and Democratic colleagues are more skeptical. 

Johnson was a former teacher