There’s been a significant update in regards to the Chicago Bears’ plans for a new stadium.
While the expectation was the Bears would build a new stadium at the 326-acre property in suburban Arlington Heights they purchased, the organization has pivoted in a new direction.
According to Greg Hinz of Crain’s Chicago Business, the Bears are re-focusing on the lakefront in Chicago as the location to construct their new stadium.
The Bears would build a state-of-the-art domed stadium on the Soldier Field south lot with the goal of hosting Super Bowls, Final Fours and other events, which was the plan in Arlington Heights, as well.
Bears president/CEO Kevin Warren recently praised downtown Chicago as a potential site for a new stadium.
“What intrigues me about downtown is I strongly believe Chicago is the finest city in all of the world,” Warren said at the team’s end-of-year press conference in January. “Very rarely do you get the opportunity to have such a beautiful downtown with a vibrant business community, with an absolutely beautiful lake and the energy that goes along. 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?
“I live downtown. I love the city. And I just think we’re blessed to be able to live in a city like Chicago. It has many pluses. I’m 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.”
While Arlington Heights was once the focal point, there have been disagreements over property taxes that opened the door to the Bears exploring other locations.