Tag: bears stadium

Waukegan wants to be the next home of the Chicago Bears

With the Bears exploring other stadium options outside of Arlington Heights, Waukegan is the latest city to express interest.

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Following news that the Chicago Bears are exploring other stadium options outside of Arlington Heights, there has been plenty of interest from different cities in the area.

The latest is Waukegan, where mayor Ann B. Taylor recently sent a letter to Bears president and CEO Kevin Warren expressing interest in hosting the team’s new stadium, according to WGN.

In the letter obtained by WGN, Taylor pointed out that Waukegan is just 20 minutes from Halas Hall, the team’s facility in Lake Forest. There were also different areas of land identified as potential development for a state-of-the-art stadium and entertainment district.

“Our working class and diverse community is as tough as the 1985 Super Bowl-winning Bears, and our leadership team at Waukegan City Hall is as aggressive as Justin Fields running the ball downfield when it comes to creating economic opportunities for our city, our residents and the region at large,” Taylor said in the letter, per WGN. “Our city’s staff and I invite you and your leadership to come to Waukegan to learn about the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity our city can offer the Bears.

“We believe that the Monsters of the Midway deserve the opportunity to continue the tradition of playing along the shores of Lake Michigan, with the market opportunity of having a year-round facility capable of hosting other major events, including the Super Bowl, the Final Four and other events on an international scale.”

The news comes after the Bears announced that Arlington Heights was no longer the sole focus of their stadium efforts. Since then, the Bears have also met with Naperville city officials about a potential stadium.

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Bears now considering stadium in Naperville as they look outside of Arlington Heights

In a statement released by the Bears, Arlington Heights is “no longer our singular focus” to build a stadium.

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The Chicago Bears are now looking at additional stadium options outside of Arlington Heights. Team officials met with Naperville Mayor Scott Wehrli on Friday to discuss possible options for a new stadium in the suburban city while demolition work on the Arlington Park property continues to take place.

In a statement released by Scott Hagel, senior vice president of marketing and communications, via NBC Sports Chicago the Bears say they’re looking at additional options outside of Arlington Heights.

“The Chicago Bears goal of building the largest single development project in Illinois history led by billions of dollars in private capital investment, and the jobs and economic benefits generated, is at risk in Arlington Heights. The stadium-based project remains broadly popular in Arlington Heights, Chicagoland and the state. However, the property’s original assessment at five times the 2021 tax value, and the recent settlement with Churchill Downs for 2022 being three times higher, fails to reflect the property is not operational and not commercially viable in its current state. We will continue the ongoing demolition activity and work toward a path forward in Arlington Heights, but it is no longer our singular focus. It is our responsibility to listen to other municipalities in Chicagoland about potential locations that can deliver on this transformational opportunity for our fans, our club and the State of Illinois.”

According to Kevin Schmit of the Daily Herald, the meeting comes a little over a week after Wehrli contacted Bears president and CEO Kevin Warren about offering up Naperville as an option for the team’s new stadium. The two met on Friday to discuss the possibility.

The Bears entered into an agreement to purchase the Arlington Park property back in September 2021 for approximately $197.2 million. A year later, team officials unveiled their vision for a mixed-use entertainment complex that would include a domed stadium on the 326 acres of land and move the team out of Soldier Field.

The team closed on the property earlier this year and demolition on certain structures from the former racetrack began this past week. But with uncertainties such as Cook County’s high property assessment and public funding for the land development outside of the actual stadium, Warren wants to consider other options.

While the Bears have flirted with other suburban options outside of Arlington Heights decades earlier, their statement on Friday is the first time they have publicly entertained other options since they agreed to purchase the land. When former Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot proposed upgrading Soldier Field last summer, the Bears maintained their focus in closing on the Arlington Park property. But due to the risks, the team is doing their due diligence.

Naperville is the fourth-largest city in Illinois, just west of Chicago. The city is outside of Cook County and can be accessed via multiple interstates and railway routes. It is unclear where in the city the Bears might be considering for a stadium site.

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Bears look to begin demolition on remaining Arlington Park structures

According to the Chicago Tribune, the Bears are taking another step towards moving to Arlington Heights.

The Chicago Bears took another step in their long road towards building a new home on Wednesday. The team filed paperwork with the village of Arlington Heights to begin demolition of the remaining structures of Arlington International Racecourse. The news was first reported by Robert McCoppin and A.D. Quig of The Chicago Tribune. 

It’s the next phase of the team’s desire to build a multi-purpose entertainment district on the property after they officially closed on the land earlier this year. The Bears entered into an agreement deal on the property back in September of 2021 to purchase the 326-acre land for approximately $197 million.

According to the team via the Tribune, demolition will begin with clearing out the interior of the grandstand before moving to other structures and eventually the grandstand itself. No timetable has been set for the demolition but, as Christopher Placek of the Daily Herald states, it could get underway in a matter in of weeks or even days.

The moves to buy and secure the property would seem to indicate the team’s desire to bring a new multi-purpose entertainment district, including a brand-new enclosed stadium, to the site. But team officials have emphasized time and again that any movement on the property does not mean they’re fully moving ahead with their desired plans.

There are still many more hoops to clear, including a battle to secure additional funding for the surrounding entertainment area not related to the stadium, as well as the increased property tax evaluation from $33.5 million in 2022 to $197 million by Cook County Assesor Fritz Kaegi, reported by Greg Hinz of Crain’s Chicago Business.

Tearing down the existing structures at Arlington Park is an important step, though. In order to build something new, the old pieces need to be brought down. It may seem slow but progress continues to happen as the Bears eye a new home.

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The Bears will not have fans at Soldier Field…at least right now

The Bears issued a statement explaining that currently no fans will be allowed at Soldier Field in 2020 to ensure their health and safety.

With the Chicago Bears’ season opener just 27 days away, the team has finally addressed whether or not fans will be allowed to attend games at Soldier Field.

The Bears issued a statement explaining that, at present, no fans will be allowed at Soldier Field in 2020 to ensure “the health and safety of the city’s residents and fans of the Bears.”

They didn’t rule out the possibility of fans attending games at Soldier Field later in the year should the stadium be “deemed safe and appropriate.” But, for now, Soldier Field will not have fans in the stands.

Here’s the full statement issued by the Bears:

“The Chicago Bears, Soldier Field’s management partner, ASM Global, the Chicago Park District and public health officials have worked together to assess whether a responsible plan that follows City, State, CDC and NFL guidelines could be developed to safely accommodate a limited number of fans at Soldier Field this season. After discussing a draft plan with City health officials, the Bears and the City of Chicago agreed the health metrics show that it is not the right time to welcome fans back to Soldier Field. The health and safety of the city’s residents and fans of the Bears will always take priority. The team and City will continue to monitor the environment and believe there can be a sound plan in place to bring fans back to Soldier Field once it is deemed safe and appropriate. Until then, Bears home games will not include in-person fans.”

The City of Chicago also issued a statement:

“We applaud the Chicago Bears for taking the right measures to protect their fans, athletes and staff during the COVID-19 pandemic. We have been working closely with the team, ASM Global, Soldier Field’s management partner, the Chicago Department of Public Health and the Chicago Park District to monitor the health metrics and provide guidance on when it is safe to allow fans back. While this is not the football season we would have hoped for, we will still be rooting for the Bears, and we look forward to the day we can cheer them on again from the stands.”

The Bears are slated to host the New York Giants on Sept. 20 in their home opener, which will look a lot different than in the past.

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