But perhaps that's the point. As Friends of the Parks (FOP) and the Landmarks Preservation Council of Illinois (LCPI) sue to stop the renovation (alleging, among other things, that the project uses $406 million in public funds for something that really isn't public: "[Soldier Field is] not the kind of place you could go in and play ball when it's not being used," says FOP General Counsel Eleanor Roemer), work is occurring amazingly fast. "Obviously they believe that if they're far enough along, no judge will stop the work," says FOP Executive Director Erma Tranter.

So why not stop them from getting ahead until the judge can determine legality? Because they can't afford to. A temporary restraining order (TRO) could stop the current work—but it could also wipe them out later. "The Bears have actually said in public that if we were to get a TRO and we did not win in court on the merits of the case, they would sue for damages," LPCI President David Bahlman says. "With a not-for-profit organization like ours, we have maybe a million-and-a-half in endowment founds—all of that would be subject to the Bears' lawsuit. In this particular case, given the players, we couldn't put ourselves at risk."

Friends of the Parks came to the same conclusion. "We don't do many lawsuits, obviously," Tranter says, noting that this is only the second major court action in the organization's twenty-seven-year history. "But it's such a serious issue, the board deliberated long and hard. According to the lawyers there's some real risk. If we get the TRO and later lose the case, can they turn around and sue a little non-profit that was only trying to do good? Some of the attorneys say they can."

But right now everyone says they don't need the TRO, especially after a January 22 court ruling to "expedite" their case. "They're removing the seats, removing the grandstand, removing the toilets—those are all things that would have to be done in any renovation project," Bahlman says. With the expedited schedule, they're looking for a decision by the end of April. "We need to find out what the Bears production schedule is," he says, noting that it's an eighteen-month project, which means they may not be able to complete much in twelve weeks. "If they're not sinking pylons for the new structure yet we won't need [the TRO]. If they start doing that, then we're really going to have a problem."

But, Roemer says, from a legal standpoint, the Bears carry the majority of the hazard. "They proceed at their own risk using public money," Roemer says. "If they want to go ahead and we prevail, they would have to repay that money."

Also by Elaine Richardson

TALLYING TURNSTILES
In the bleakness of the weeks immediately following September 11, the city's cultural strongholds seemed doomed to end the year in downturn. Or not. The Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum reported last week that attendance topped 27,000 in December alone, tripling the numbers from the year before and boosting them to a level unseen since the museum's new facility opened in October 1999.
(2002-01-17)

COSELL & CO.
It's not quite the textbook definition of mayhem—no real maiming going on—but it's damn entertaining. Not into football? It doesn't matter—we're talking TV history and pop culture iconography here, not sports.
(2002-01-10)

IT'S ALIVE!
The mutations area offers a look at mutant white-eyed flies, while the genetic engineering area offers frogs from the University of Virginia, which have been "engineered" to produce green fluorescence in the eyes.
(2002-01-10)

BALANCING ACT
"For the first time ever in history we're doing the torch run in a way where people can really see it," O'Connor says. Even on long distance trips. The company has provided a specially built Avalanche, which carries an open flaming cauldron (designed by scientists at the Georgia Institute of Technology) so you can see the 2000-degree fire burning on the highway.
(2002-01-10)

HOT AIR
(2002-01-10)

FILM VAULT
(2001-11-22)

THE GIFT GUIDE
(2001-11-15)

ALL ABOARD
(2001-10-18)

BRAIN FREEZE
(2001-09-13)

ANALYZE THIS
(2001-09-06)

THE GOOD FIGHT
(2001-09-06)

BIG MUDDY
(2001-08-23)