The rumors surrounding a possible Chicago Bears move to Arlington Heights ramped up on Thursday when the organization announced that they’d submitted a bid for the Arlington International Racecourse.
While it wasn’t mentioned in Ted Phillips’ statement, the intent is obviously to build a new stadium. The Bears have called Soldier Field home since 1971, and while there’s a history with it, the stadium has its drawbacks.
Soldier Field is the smallest stadium in the NFL — it has a capacity of 61,500 — and they’re restricted with what they can do in terms of expanding capacity given that the city of Chicago owns Soldier Field. That wouldn’t be an issue if they built their own stadium in Arlington Heights, although the Bears’ lease at Soldier Field runs through 2033 and the NFL would have to approve a move.
While many have voiced their excitement with the potential for Arlington Heights, others have been disappointed. One notable public figure who voiced her displeasure is Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot, who called the Bears’ bid on the Arlington Heights property “noise” and took a shot at the organization for needing to “stay relevant past October.”
What do you think, Bears fans? Should the team make the move to Arlington Heights?
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