Chicago grapples with the impending Grateful Dead finale

CHICAGO – As the eyes of the world turn here this weekend for the Grateful Dead's final dance, the Windy City is busily preparing for a chaotic – and lucrative – onslaught of visitors.

From July 3-5, the legendary band will do three shows at Soldier Field, the site of their last performance in 1995 just prior to death of lead guitarist Jerry Garcia. Fans are pouring in from all over the country to enjoy the festivities. Coupled with other Independence Day events, it should make for one of the more memorable Chicago summer celebrations.

Roughly 70,000 people will need to be shoe-horned into the arena each night. And, on the 4th of July, they will be joined along the lakefront by crowds watching a city fireworks display. The White Sox and Cubs are also playing at home that day. If the past is any guide, the neighborhoods will be alight with revelers setting off backyard pyrotechnics, often lubricated by rivers of alcohol. And all will be likely be punctuated by the gunfire that has sadly become a routine feature of warm nights here.

For police, firefighters and Park District employees, it will be a busy three days. At what was billed as a "Public Safety Cabinet Meeting" this week, Mayor Rahm Emanuel vowed that the marquee events downtown will not take away law enforcement resources from other parts of the city.

"The 4th of July weekend has been a challenge historically, and we are taking an all-hands-on-deck approach," he said.

Police officers have been put on 12-hour shifts and every available uniform will be on the street. Ditto for firefighters and paramedics.

That could mean a huge overtime bill but one that is apt to be more than offset by a healthy addition to the city's coffers.

It is difficult to gauge an estimated profit from the Dead shows, said Meghan Risch, a spokeswoman for Choose Chicago, the city's official tourism agency.

"Hard to put a number on it," she said. "But this is unique and will be great revenue for the city. The hoteliers are booked and [the fans] will fill our restaurants and keep our taxi drivers busy."

She acknowledged the stress such a weekend will put on local resources, but said "this will be a July 4th weekend for the books and there is nothing this city can't do."

However, following an initial frenzy when the shows were announced last winter, the costs of both secondary market tickets and accommodations have been steadily coming down. A check of various travel websites shows room prices that have been cut significantly – sometimes even in half – in recent weeks.

Still, the take from ticket sales alone should be considerable, with a 6.5% amusement tax levied on each ticket's face value -- $60 to $200. Add in concessions, hotel taxes, parking fees and higher use of public transportation and this cash-strapped municipality can expect a mini-bonanza.

Hosting the Dead will be neither easy nor cheap for the people who run Soldier Field. They will be dealing with essentially two separate events, the vendor/parking lot/bazaar scene outside and then the sold-out shows in the venue itself.

"But this is a special occasion and adds to the lore of this building," said spokesman Luca Serra. "Think of all the firsts that have taken place here. Now we have one of the lasts."

From the number of concessionaires to security guards, "everything has been beefed up," he said.

With access to the outside events starting at 10 a.m., well prior to a 7 p.m. showtime, Serra noted "these are all-day events. The tailgaters alone will give the Bears fans a run for their money."