Report Shows NFL Has Many Demands For Chicago In Hosting Draft
(CBS) The NFL has issued a long list of demands in choosing Chicago as the host of this year's NFL Draft, an in-depth report from the Chicago Tribune revealed.
The draft will be held from April 30-May 2 at Roosevelt's Auditorium Theatre, but it's a wide-scale event that includes an outdoor fan festival at Grant Park. It's not know if the city and Choose Chicago, the non-profit tourism agency organizing the event along with the NFL, complied with all the league's demands, the Tribune reported, but it's the first peek into details of what's coming.
Here are some of the requests from the NFL that were detailed in the Tribune's story, which we recommend you read in full here:
Cordoning off stretches of road around Grant Park and Congress Plaza, including a key stretch of Congress Parkway between Michigan Avenue and Wabash Avenue, for nearly three weeks.
Free use of the Auditorium Theatre and other spaces owned by Roosevelt University from April 19 to May 6, free WiFi and other technology for the NFL and its partners at all locations and free parking for NFL staff, TV crews and production trucks.
Free parking at draft venues and free police escorts for prospective draft picks and NFL "dignitaries."
Creation and enforcement of a "clean zone" city ordinance banning temporary commercial activity in and near draft venues.
City "resources" to help keep unofficial advertising away from the made-for-TV event, otherwise known as ambush marketing.
Outdoor space for a "village" for about 15 "sponsor activation zones" and football fields for youth clinics and events for five days. Also, three "Party Spaces" for NFL events: one for 150 people that serves Anheuser-Busch brewing products, one for up to 700 people with concert space April 29 and one for 250 people for a lunch with television shooting capability.
Along with Choose Chicago, promotional material and signage worth at least $4 million.
Commitment to host the 2016 NFL draft (this was agreed to by the city, documents show), if the NFL decides to keep it in Chicago.
Choose Chicago officials have previously said no taxpayer money will be used for the needed services and costs associated with the NFL Draft.
This draft is expected to be more expensive that those in past years in New York City, in part because of the outdoor fan festival, the Tribune reported.
