NEWSLETTER
The Chicago Bears’ move to Arlington Heights isn’t going to be overnight. Instead, it is going to be a process. There will be steps to take, rungs to climb, and bridges to cross.
And the latest such move came last night when the Arlington Heights board of trustees approved the Bears’ pre-development plan for the team’s potential relocation:
Let the record show that this isn’t a binding agreement. And we’re nowhere near the finalization of this process. But there is now a framework for the site’s development — which is a significant step in this ordeal. Moreover, this is likely to be the first of many important steps. Remember that the Bears aren’t just looking to put a stadium on the old Arlington Park site. The franchise is essentially looking to create a mini community with office buildings, restaurants, parks, green space, and more. Halasville has a nice ring to it. Maybe it’ll be a Fields of Dreams by the time it gets done. Just saying. I’ve got all sorts of naming ideas rattling around in my brain!
The Bears entered a purchase agreement for Arlington Park in September 2021. Since then, all signs have pointed to Chicago’s football team positioning itself to depart for the suburbs. There has been a sneak peek of plans, much chatter about the project, and an underlying feeling of it being “a matter of when not if” the Bears make a move. The franchise has been consulting with teams who have helped put new NFL stadiums in Vegas and Minnesota (and others) en route to getting to this point. But even still … it feels like we’re still in the early stages of this process. After all, Bears Chairman George McCaskey did say this could be a 10-year undertaking.
So I hope you have patience if you’re a Bears fan waiting for your favorite team to enter a sparkling new facility.
