NEWSLETTER
With a lakefront project in downtown Chicago facing its share of hurdles, the folks in Arlington Heights are angling to get back into the conversation to become the next home of Chicago Bears stadium.
Even though a Chicago stadium on Museum Campus is still the focus, Arlington Heights remains hopeful the Bears will use the Arlington Park property that was purchased at the end of the Ted Phillips era of team presidency as the site of a stadium complex. As far as I’m concerned, a move to the suburbs is still a possibility. Especially after reading the words of Arlington Heights Mayor Tom Hayes via the Daily Herald, which reports the village has given the team a new proposal to settle the tax issue ultimately nudged the Bears toward checking in with other municipalities with interest in being the home of a future Bears stadium.
“We’ve worked very hard to come to an agreement with the school districts that I think the Bears can be comfortable with, and that’s been communicated to the Bears, and that’s what we’re discussing now,” Hayes said via the Daily Herald. “So I feel very comfortable that should the Bears re-engage with us and continue to explore the Arlington Park site, that the road is going to be much easier than we found in past months.”
Arlington Heights seems to be playing the long game in its pursuit of the Bears. And I imagine offering a settlement on the tax front could turn the tide in the suburb’s favor, as it looks like there could be fewer hurdles to clear for a Bears stadium on the Arlington Park property than there are for a downtown stadium along Chicago’s lakefront.
While there is a part of me that has always thought a move to Arlington Park was the end game, I was struggling to see this particular angle coming to fruition. Can you blame me? Neither Arlington Heights nor the Cook County Assessor’s Office was willing to give the Bears the tax break they were seeking. But if the team and Arlington Heights can find a middle ground on their tax issue, then the possibility of an Arlington Heights Bears stadium becomes more realistic.
Checking Chicago Bears stadium updates is like watching a tug-of-war game
On the one hand, following Chicago Bears stadium watch is fascinating. The push-and-pull, cat-and-mouse games keep me busy and force me to have an open mind regarding the future of where this team will play its games in the future. But on the other hand, I know there will come a day where this is tiresome. I know this because I can sense from the fanbase that there are chunks of Bears backers who simply want two things — a winning football team and a stadium that represents an uprgrade from Soldier Field.
CHECK IT OUT: Chicago Bears Stadium Renderings
I am reaching a place where I almost don’t care where the next Chicago Bears stadium goes. City? Suburbs? The lake? A mountaintop? On the moon? Whatever. Just win, baby. Bonus points for doing it in a state-of-the-art facility that fans can be proud to call home. Extra bonus points for building something that can host Super Bowls, March Madness, Wrestlemanias, high-profile concert acts, and more. But do it without sticking the Illinois taxpayer with the bill. Is that too much to ask?
In the end, it feels like there will be a new Bears stadium coming soon. Which Chicagland municipality gets it remains to be seen. Unfortunately, it does not seem as if a resolution is coming soon. But if it makes you feel any better, just know that Bears training camp begins in three weeks. Soon enough, our attention will turn from stadium talk to talking about the players on the field. Thank goodness!
