Eleven months after finalizing the $197.2 million purchase of a 326-acre plot of land in suburban Arlington Heights, designed for a stadium and business district, the Chicago Bears are talking about a new plan to instead build a domed stadium near their current home of Soldier Field.
On Monday morning, several Chicago news outlets reported that the Bears want to form a public-private partnership with the park district to build a stadium and renovate part of Chicago’s lakefront museum campus to add more public space. That would presumably include knocking down Soldier Field, which has the smallest seating capacity in the NFL, despite Chicago being the third-largest market.
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“The Chicago Bears are proud to contribute over $2 billion to build a stadium and improve open spaces for all families, fans and the general public to enjoy in the City of Chicago,” Bears president and CEO Kevin Warren said in a statement provided by the team. “The future stadium of the Chicago Bears will bring a transformative opportunity to our region — boosting the economy, creating jobs, facilitating mega events and generating millions in tax revenue. We look forward to sharing more information when our plans are finalized.”
It’s been a busy few years for the Bears, the charter franchise of the NFL. In late September 2021, the team signed a purchase agreement for the Arlington Park racecourse property. The idea was to build a stadium and create a “mixed-use” area full of restaurants, bars and hotels that provide the franchise with more revenue. The deal was finalized in February 2023 and the old horse-racing track was demolished.
The Bears had a different president (Ted Phillips) and Chicago had a different mayor (Lori Lightfoot). Since then, Warren was hired from the Big Ten, partly to lead the stadium project, while Chicago elected a new mayor in Brandon Johnson. Johnson and Warren seemed to have thawed a chilly relationship between the team and city.
I have said all along that meaningful private investment and a strong emphasis on public benefit are my requirements for public-private partnerships in our city. The Chicago Bears’ plans are a welcome step in that direction and a testament to Chicago’s economic vitality.
— Mayor Brandon Johnson (@ChicagosMayor) March 11, 2024
That improved relationship comes as arguments with three school districts over real estate taxes for the Arlington Park land have stalled the Bears’ suburban project. The Cook County Board of Review recently appraised the land (which is currently empty) at $125 million. The Bears have argued it should be valued at $60 million. An appeal by the Bears is likely.
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That delay has opened the door for the team remaining in the city where they have played since George Halas moved the franchise from Decatur, Ill. in 1921. Over the years, there were flirtations with moving to the suburbs, but the Bears have played at Soldier Field since 1971, which was renovated with public money (through the Illinois Sports Facilities Authority) in 2002 and 2003.
In December, there were reports about a joint interest in building a stadium in the parking lot south of Soldier Field. In January, Warren raved about Chicago, hinting at the possibility of the team staying there, in a news conference at Halas Hall.
“I mean, very rarely do you get an opportunity to have such a beautiful downtown with a vibrant business community with an absolutely beautiful lake and the energy that goes along,” Warren said. “I always focus on what’s a way that we could bring together the beauty of the lake, the beauty of downtown, the business community, all the art exhibits, to bring that together for an environment, because it’s always about the fans, how can we create an environment that they really enjoy, and not only on our game days but also from art, from food, just from music.
“I live downtown. I love the city. I just think we’re blessed to be able to live in a city like Chicago. It has many pluses, and so I’m just a big proponent of the Chicagoland area. I’m a big proponent of Arlington Heights, but there’s something that’s really special about downtown Chicago.”
The White Sox are also trying to get a new stadium built just west of Soldier Field and their developer, Related Midwest, recently talked about working with the Bears and the ISFA to get both stadium projects off the ground.
Required reading
- Bears say proposed Arlington Heights stadium no longer team’s ‘singular focus’
- Bears Arlington Park stadium project beginning to win over more fans?
(Photo: Quinn Harris / Getty Images)