Halas Hall Explained

Halas Hall
Address:	1920 Football Dr (N Field Dr.) Lake Forest, IL 60045
Owner:	Chicago Bears
Architect:	Peter D. Rose (original design) HOK (2018 renovation)
Renovated:	2013, 2018
Opened:	March 3, 1997
Construction Cost:	$20 million
Total Space:	336100square feet^[1]
Breakout:	3250square feet
Ballroom:	200 people (maximum capacity)

Halas Hall (officially the PNC Center at Halas Hall) is a building complex in Lake Forest, Illinois, that serves as the headquarters of the Chicago Bears of the National Football League (NFL). The 38-acre complex opened on March 3, 1997 and was expanded in 2013 and 2018.^[2]

History

Background

Named after founder George Halas and designed by Peter Rose of Peter Rose + Partners,^[3] the building hosts the team's front office, as well as indoor and outdoor practice facilities and cost $20 million.^[4]

The location is west of the original Halas Hall which opened in 1977, which was named after George Halas Jr., who died unexpectedly in 1979. It was located at Lake Forest College and contained 2 practice fields (one regulation-size outdoor field as well as a 70-yard practice field) and front office facilities,^[5] which is now used by the Foresters Athletics Department.^[6] Since 1990 the Bears also leased an indoor 60 by 80 yard practice facility in Waukegan.^{[7] [8]}

Renovations

In 2013, the Bears announced that Halas Hall would be renovated to include an event center, broadcast studio, outdoor patio, and dining facility, as well as additional conference rooms and staff offices. They also announced that they would expand the parking lot and renovate the entrance to the lobby. The event centers feature interactive digital displays, video monitors and memorabilia such as the Bears' 1963 NFL Championship Game trophy.^{[9] [10]} The new facility was designed by Richard Preves & Associates, PC. On April 21, 2015, PNC Financial Services purchased the naming rights to the new building, naming it the PNC Center at Halas Hall.^[11]

On November 17, 2017, Ted Phillips announced the franchise would expand and renovate Halas Hall to effectively double its size. The project was designed by HOK began in March 2018 and concluded in August 2019.^{[12] [13]}

The expanded Halas Hall included: 162500square feet football operations addition to the existing 143000square feet facility and a 30600square feet renovation on the building’s northeast side. A 3250square feet players' lounge was created and a 1700square feet players locker room. Also, two additional football fields were added, which brought the total to four fields (not including the indoors Walter Payton Center).^[14]

After renovations were finished in which training rooms were expanded and new playing fields were added, the Bears moved their training camp to Halas Hall for the 2020 season.^[14]

Features

• Four outdoors practice fields - with approximately 12,000 temporary seats^[15] during training camp and a practice 40-person viewing suite for corporate partners in the main field. It also includes a training slope and a storage facility.
• Walter Payton Training Center - an artificial turf indoors practice field with a viewing suite for corporate partners and other VIP guests.
• 13000square feet Indoor turf space - for training and walkthroughs with a 133x26 video board and adjacent virtual reality room.
• "Mugs" Halas Auditorium - with 130 seats capacity.
• Conference rooms - Halas Hall features 20 conference rooms named after Bears legends and football terminology, such as the Bronko Nagurski Room, Red Grange Room, Brian Piccolo Room, Wrigley Room and Decatur Room.
• Press conference room and media courtyard - A 60 participants conference room plus a work space and office for media members.
• PNC Center - a ballroom that can hold dining events for 120, business meeting for 150 and parties for 200, with adjacent TV production studio.
• Football operations facilities - includes: position meeting rooms, coaches' offices, 3250square feet players' lounge and 4300square feet team and 7608square feet staff café with outdoor patio space at a capacity of 100 people.
• Locker rooms - 1700square feet players' locker room, separate coaches/scouts locker room and weight room name after former Bears strength coach Clyde Emrich which includes a lap pool.
• Sports medicine space - including two hydrotherapy pools, two plunge pools, a float pod, sauna and steam room.
• Event center - features Chicago Bears themed memorabilia and players exhibits, such as the 1985 Lombardi Trophy and 1963 Championship Trophy.^[16]
• A 1.5-mile running and cycling path and a racquetball and basketball courts.

External links

• Official Chicago Bears Website
• Chicago Bears' History

42.2573°N -87.8951°W

Notes and References

1. Web site: Inside the expanded and remodeled Halas Hall. Chicago Tribune.
2. Web site: Halas Hall before & after. ChicagoBears.com.
3. Peter Rose + Partners, Inc., http://www.roseandpartners.com/projects/chicagobearsheadquarters, roseandpartners.com, Retrieved on November 21, 2013.
4. Web site: New Bear Den. Chicago Tribune .
5. The Official Website of the Chicago Bears, Highlights from the 1990s, chicagobears.com, Retrieved on July 26, 2007.
6. Web site: Halas Hall. lakeforest.edu.
7. Web site: INDOOR SITE SET FOR BEARS. Chicago Tribune .
8. Web site: National Notebook: Waukegan, Ill.; Bear Market Optimism. NY Times.
9. Web site: Mayer. Larry. Bears renovating Halas Hall. Chicago Bears. February 11, 2013. February 11, 2013. https://web.archive.org/web/20130213201617/http://www.chicagobears.com/news/article-1/Bears-renovating-Halas-Hall/782020d6-e5eb-4a68-b957-9e75bf527cd5. February 13, 2013. dead.
10. Web site: Bears Unveil Halas Hall Renovation Plans; New Broadcast Center Among Additions. Sports Business Journal .
11. News: Yerak. Becky. Chicago Bears strike naming-rights, banking deal with PNC. Chicago Tribune. April 21, 2015. April 21, 2015.
12. Web site: NFL’s Chicago Bears Unveil HOK-Designed Expansion to Halas Hall. HOK.com.
13. News: Mayer . Larry . Bears detail 'significant expansion' of Halas Hall . chicagobears.com . 2017-11-17 . 2017-11-18 .
14. Web site: Mayer. Larry. Bears moving training camp back to Halas Hall. Chicago Bears. January 14, 2020. January 14, 2020.
15. Web site: Going to Chicago Bears training camp? Here are the best tips and tricks. All CHGO.
16. Web site: No Lombardi trophy in 1963 - no trophy at all for the NFL’s champs in ‘63 (a trophy didn’t exist.) So Chicago’s Mayor Daley made one himself for the Bears, who beat the Giants in a noon game at Wrigley Field. Named trophy after recently assassinated JFK. #HalasHall. X.com.