Design and Construction Report staff writer
Pepper Construction, GMA Construction Group and All Construction Group will build Chicago Fire FC’s new $650 million stadium in downtown Chicago, the team announced Monday.
“We ran a really exhaustive process where we interviewed some of the largest national contractors who are all known for building stadiums,” said club owner and chairman Joe Mansueto. “But at the end of the day … it felt right to go with a triumvirate of Chicago-based contractors led by Pepper alongside GMA Construction Group and All Construction Group.”
Cornelius Griggs, president and CEO of GMA Construction Group, said the joint venture reflects the character of the city.
“This project is more than building a new stadium,” Griggs said. “It’s a place where the people of Chicago are going to have an opportunity to express themselves, have a good time from all different walks of life, and we wanted to reflect that — which is why you have such a diverse group of owners at the joint venture level.”
Luis Puig, president of All Construction Group, said the effort is also about building community.
“This project is about more than building a stadium,” Puig said. “It’s building a neighborhood. It’s building communities. It’s building workforce development.”
The 22,000-seat stadium will be entirely privately financed by Mansueto and serve as the anchor of The 78, a 62-acre development along the Chicago River just south of Roosevelt Road. Construction is expected to begin in early 2026, with completion scheduled for 2028.
Rob Martinelli, senior vice president of operations at Pepper Construction, called the project a source of civic pride.
“Being from Chicago, we could not be more excited about the opportunity to bring the anchor to The 78 that this stadium is going to become,” Martinelli said. “And we’re appreciative of our partners and looking forward to what this partnership brings.”
The stadium’s design includes a brick, steel and glass façade, a dedicated supporter section for 2,000 fans on safe-standing bleachers, and a steel canopy to amplify crowd energy. Premium offerings will feature 50 suites, more than 500 loge seats and 3,500 club seats, including access to exclusive “clubs-within-clubs.”
Griggs said the project also represents a milestone for inclusion in the city’s construction industry.
“The Fire and the Mansueto family are setting the tone by making sure that the prime partners are reflective of opportunity,” Griggs said. “They’re giving minority- and small-owned businesses the chance to operate at the highest level, and that’s something that hasn’t often been done in Chicago.”
