The United Center has long been an island in the middle of the Near West Side, blocked off from its neighbors by a vast sea of parking lots.

But a new proposal from the arena’s owners leaked this week floats the idea of replacing one of those lots with a new retail, dining and event complex that would activate the stadium’s outskirts with something besides gasoline.

Bulls owner Jerry Reinsdorf and Blackhawks owner Rocky Wirtz are testing the waters on the project, which would turn the lot immediately east of the arena, south of Madison Street and west of Wood Street, into a 262,522 square-foot expansion, according to a document from the Metropolitan Planning Council and a spokesman for the two men.

The United Center team asked the Metropolitan Planning Council in 2010 to take a look at what economic impact the project might be on the neighborhood, and the resulting document lays out the specifics.

The project could have four restaurants totaling roughly 28,000 square feet, four bars at a total of 14,000 square feet, a 12,000 square-foot team store and a 29,000 square-foot event space.

According to Guy Chipparoni, a spokesman for Reinsdorf and Wirtz, the project would be built without public money on the lot, which they already own.

If built, the proposal would add a huge number of businesses to the area surrounding the United Center, which right now is dominated by parking lots. Demand for nearby dining options has long been demonstrated, though, by the long lines and packed bar on game days at the Billy Goat’s outpost a few blocks away at Ashland, Ogden and Madison. In recent years, West Loop bars and restaurants further east on Madison like Crossroads and Third Rail have made their name providing free shuttle buses to the arena for events.

But few, if any, businesses capitalizing on the traffic have sprouted up west of Ashland. The Metropolitan Planning Council was brought on to study the economic impact of the project in 2010, having worked on community development in the former Henry Horner Homes area.

Over and over again during meetings about how best to revitalize the area, the United Center came up, according to the Metropolitan Planning Council’s Community Development Director Joanna Trotter.

“The United Center was developed at a time when sports venues were planned very differently than they [are] today,” Trotter said. “I think that the United Center recognizes there’s even more opportunity and they need to start somewhere.”

Their study for the United Center showed that the project would have a major impact on the area. According to the report, the development would create 794 new jobs — 289 in construction, and 505 long-term service industry jobs. In the project’s first 16 months, it would create almost $35 million in earnings from job creation, and almost $11 million per year annually after that.

It would also bring in almost $2.7 million in tax revenue for the first 16 months, and almost $2 million annually afterwards.

Ald. Bob Fioretti (2nd), whose ward includes the arena, said he hadn’t been briefed on the project by the United Center but it’s something he’s been pushing for a long time.

“It’s something we’ve been advocating for four years, to start moving some of these parking lots into retail areas,” he said. “I’m very pleased. It’s one more push all the way straight down Madison to develop it.”

Chipparoni said that the project has been floating around since 2010, and while the owners are interested in the project, nothing is pending right now.

“These are ideas and concepts that ownership has been discussing for a while,” he said. “There are a lot of thoughts on the table, and a lot of interest as to what it would mean to the United Center complex and of course, the city of Chicago. Nothing is imminent, nor is anything out of the question. United Center ownership looks forward to discussing all of this in better detail in the proper setting at the proper time.”

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By Dave
Posted: 05/27/2012 9:50 AM

http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/basketball/bulls/ct-spt-0527-berto-bulls-chicago--20120527,0,1362216.story Interesting article, why don't they combine the new practice facility with these plans for retail and an entertainment district? That would be tremendous.

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By Larry from West Loop
Posted: 05/06/2012 11:28 AM

Mike, WestLoopPresident didn't say anything even remotely racist. What on earth are you talking about? You DO know it's racist to continually throw out the race card without warrant every 5 minutes, don't you? Please post some facts instead of baseless accusations.

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By Mike
Posted: 05/04/2012 0:34 AM

Westloopresident- Your credibility is shot. No one cares what a racist has to say. How do you survive in a city filled with people from every single corner of the world? Better yet, how do you live with yourself?

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By Larry
Posted: 05/03/2012 1:19 PM

Westlooppresident, You are correct they are the two biggest crooks who will probably get tons of TIF money to do this, however Rahm actually is trying to put an end to the lease at Bacardi at the Park if you look into it. An L stop here with the project is absolutely mandatory. The neighborhood would absolutely explode.

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By dinah dirks from united center
Posted: 05/03/2012 11:53 AM

@George! YES!!! That is a great idea - and one that should have been seen as more high priority than the Green Line Morgan St Stop

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By George from Far West Side
Posted: 05/03/2012 10:50 AM

Reinsdorf and Wirtz think they are slick with these plans without adding a plan with CTA/RTA for an el stop on Madison St. Let those two owners and Rahm know, that if they want this to happen with/out tax payers money, they better make a deal with the community and CTA/RTA to add a Green and Pink stop on Madison St.

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By dinah dirks from united center
Posted: 05/03/2012 9:40 AM

I am all for building and expansion -- and about time the owners of the sports team take advantage of the mass groups that take over the Madhouse on Madison. This is a great development opportunity for my neighborhood. I hope this moves quickly, as the neighborhood is still waiting for the coffee store, pizza place and grocery store that was secured in 2009!

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By dinah dirks from united center
Posted: 05/03/2012 9:40 AM

I am all for building and expansion -- and about time the owners of the sports team take advantage of the mass groups that take over the Madhouse on Madison. This is a great development opportunity for my neighborhood. I hope this moves quickly, as the neighborhood is still waiting for the coffee store, pizza place and grocery store that was secured in 2009!

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By Westloopresident from West loop
Posted: 05/03/2012 8:33 AM

HAng on to your wallets taxpayers. With the two biggest crooks in the Chicago business asking for money we will lose.That is Reinsdorf and Wirtz. Reinsdorf has already taken millions from the taxpayers with his sweet deal at the Cell. He has also received a taxpayer financed gift with Bacardi at he Park. NOw with that scum dog Emmnauel in office, we will really pay as thay are countymen and all they care about is money. Rahm will sell the city is if means 30 more pieces of silver in his campaign