Kevin Warren stated his goal for the Chicago Bears stadium plans was getting shovels in the ground in 2025. However, with 2024 nearing an end, the team seems no closer to realizing those plans than when he became team president. Governor J.B. Pritzker has stymied every attempt to consider a downtown complex on the museum campus south of Soldier Fields. This has pushed the Bears to re-examine the Bronzeville property, which was originally considered too narrow. However, a new development may have shifted things in yet another direction.
According to Jeremy Gorner of the Chicago Tribune, the Bears and the city of Arlington Height have finally reached a tentative agreement on the property tax issue that had stalled negotiations months ago, convincing Warren to shift focus elsewhere. The organization made it clear they remain committed to a downtown stadium at this time, but actions speak louder than words.
As the Chicago Bears continue to face massive hurdles in Springfield over plans to build a domed stadium next to Soldier Field, the team said Monday it has reached an agreement over property taxes for the 326 acres of land it owns in Arlington Heights that has tripped up plans to build a new stadium in the northwest suburb.
Team officials said they had agreed on a memorandum of understanding involving the amount of taxes to be paid for the former site of the Arlington International Racecourse. The village and local school boards still need to approve the agreement, which could happen next month. While it does not guarantee the team will build a stadium in Arlington Heights, the deal does shift some momentum back toward the suburban site and keeps the team’s options more open than before.
“The Chicago Bears remain focused on investing over $2 billion to build a publicly owned enclosed stadium on Chicago’s lakefront while reevaluating the feasibility of a development in Bronzeville,” Bears officials said in a team statement released Monday. “That being said, we remain significant landowners in Arlington Heights and establishing a framework for potential future development planning, financing and property tax certainty has been a priority since the land was purchased. We continue to have productive conversations with the village and school districts and are aligned on a framework should we choose to explore a potential development.”
It’s clear Warren wants to make things happen downtown. That much has been obvious since he first arrived. He is a big believer in having that trademark skyline shot on the lakefront. The problem, as is always the case in these situations, is public funding. The Bears are willing to foot around three-quarters of the bill to make this happen, but they still need assistance with infrastructure and property taxes. That requires help from the state. Pritzker has made it clear that this isn’t going to happen without serious concessions that would benefit taxpayers.
Current hopes are that moving to the Bronzeville area would create as much resistance from the government and activist groups. It isn’t certain if this idea has gained any traction in Springfield yet. If it doesn’t, this development in Arlington Heights makes it clear the Chicago Bears have their insurance if things don’t go as planned. They already own the property and now have a tax plan favorable to them.
