CITY HALL — A sweeping proposal to build a Chicago Fire soccer stadium at the South Loop site known as The 78 was advanced by a key City Council committee on Tuesday.

The council’s zoning committee approved a rezoning for the privately funded, 22,000-seat stadium, which is backed by the Fire and development firm Related Midwest. It will serve as a key attraction for the $8 billion megadevelopment.

The project must still be approved by the full City Council, which meets Thursday.

Plans for The 78 have changed multiple times since the first renderings were released five years ago; a research and teaching facility from Discovery Partners Institute was scrapped last year after the group pulled out in favor of an alternate site on the Far South Side.

A plan for adding a Red Line stop at 15t

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