Southtown Star from Tinley Park, Illinois • 139

A13 The Stir Sunday, November 21 2004 Run to the hills Runners with painted faces hit their stride during the Tlnley Park Turkey Trot last weekend In Tinley Park. David BanksThe Star Stadium work under way 7 'TF Yr r. i xu 1 A fail I I Thanksgiving DIRECTOR By Stephanie Gehrlng, special to The Star Construction on Bridgeviews professional soccer stadium has begun. Lindahl, the lowest bidder on the excavation project, broke ground Thursday. The company was hired for $2.4 million by Turner Construction, the stadiums construction manager.

While pleased that the project is moving forward, Mayor Steve Landek said he considers construction to have started months ago. I think the official groundbreaking was when we bought property and started tearing everything down," he said. The village assembled 100-plus acres of property to build the stadium, practice field, parking and a surrounding campus with retailers. The stadium will host soccer games, civic events and concerts. Demolition of the buildings on the former Consolidated Freightways trucking terminal at 71st Street and Harlem Avenue was completed last month.

The village also plans to develop the site of the former 3M manufacturing plant at 68th Street and Harlem Avenue in Bedford Park as part of the stadium project. The Chicago Fire will be the chief tenant of the $70 million village-owned stadium. Anschutz Entertainment Group, the owner of the Fire, will manage the stadium. The stadiums move and the villages decision to pay for the entire stadium itself necessitated new agreements be negotiated between the village and AEG. The Bridgeview Village Board voted last week to adjourn its meeting at 3 p.m.

Wednesday in order to approve a stadium development agreement, stadium management agreement and a permit and operating agreement with the Anschutz Chicago Soccer Stadium LLC. Landek said he wanted the trustees to have time to review the agreements before the boards vote. During its meeting last week the village board approved an amendment to Rosetti Architects contract. Landek said the village would pay Rosetti an additional $325,000 for redesign work. The redesign was prompted by the villages decision in September to move the stadium from 79th Street and Harlem Avenue to 71st Street and Harlem Avenue.

When we moved a lot of those drawings were out the window there was a different site, different building configurations," Landek said. Despite the need for the redesign and other delays, the stadium is expected to be completed in time for the 2006 season, said Landek and Bill Green the villages director of projects. Were right on schedule," Landek said. Im very pleased. Excavation will take about 30 days, and a stone berm, Eart of the stadium, will be uilt as the excavation takes place, Green said.

He said in February or March contracts for the underground utilities, footings and foundations is likely to be awarded. Well meet the schedule, Green said. Well work six 12-hour days until the weather breaks in the spring, then well evaluate it and see if we need to add another day. AK A. ft 4 rS-2 ft Y.t v.

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