Blackhawks, Bulls Owners Release Plans for 1901 Project Surrounding United Center

Chicago's best sports venue is the United Center, the home of the Blackhawks and Bulls. The nearby West Loop area is growing but the space immediately surrounding the United Center has remained mostly stagnant over the years. That's about to change as the Blackhawks and Bulls have proposed a major facelift to the surrounding area, dubbed the "1901 Project."

The teams announced Tuesday the plans to turn the parking lots and land surrounding the United Center into a transformative neighborhood of mixed-use development.

The $7 billion project includes plans for a music hall, a hotel, retail and parking structures, and 5,000 residential units. Such renovations would give the neighborhood a year-round entertainment district. This plan is similar to the Wrigleyville development that the Ricketts family went through with. The 1901 Project has its own website that features more details and renderings.

Tuesday's announcement marks the third proposed sports venue development this year for the City of Chicago. While many people are rolling their eyes at the price tag of the development, Bulls owner Jerry Reinsdorf and Blackhawks owner Danny Wirtz said the $7 billion price tag would be covered entirely by private funding.

It's a total 180 from Reinsdorf's request with the White Sox' South Loop development and the Chicago Bears' lakefront development . Chicago's sports owners don't have a good track record sticking to their word, but this is the first time the proposers have presented private funding from the get-go.

The 1901 Project carries an aggressive timeline with the first phase proposed to begin in the spring of 2025 if the plan receives approval from the city council. The 10-year project would bring an estimated 63,000 construction jobs and 12,000 operational jobs to the area.

Ald. Walter Burnett (27th), was present for the announcement.

“This is very exciting to have all of that green space, to be able to help our environment, to get rid of those black parking lots," Burnett said. "It’s a win-win."

The 1901 Project also reaffirms that Reinsdorf knew what he was doing by buying up land around the United Center . It was speculated that the real estate mogul was making some sort of play, but it wasn't expected to be this large.

With the backing of fans, the neighborhood, and the city, this project could transform the West Side into something special.

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