After being named one of the 10 locations that Illinois is pitching to Amazon as potential spots for the company's second headquarters, the developers behind Lincoln Yards—the former site of the A. Finkl & Sons Steel plant between Lincoln Park and Bucktown—are making lofty proposals to attract the internet retailer. The Chicago Tribune uncovered renderings commissioned by Sterling Bay that depict an Amazon-branded "world-class sports and entertainment stadium" sitting on the west bank of the Chicago River's North Branch. While there's no guarantee that a stadium would be built, this is a prime example of the lengths developers are willing to go to in order to woo Amazon.
Additional renderings obtained by the Tribune depict a variety of configurations for a prospective Amazon campus in the Lincoln Yards developments, including two towering high-rises connected by an aerial bridge across the river, a gigantic tiered edifice and a series of buildings arranged around a central plaza. Additional features of the proposed development include an extension of the 606 Trail, a riverwalk path along the Chicago River and the creation of a new park.
Sterling Bay has previously stated that redevelopment of the Finkl Steel site property could cost as much as $10 billion. Now that we've gotten a better look at the amenities that the developer is proposing, it's easy to see where all that money is going, though it's still unclear what team would play in a new North Side stadium (perhaps the Chicago Fire could be lured back into the city?).
Take a look at some additional renderings of the various Lincoln Yard configurations below.
Courtesy Sterling Bay
Courtesy Sterling Bay