NEWSLETTER
Just when I was thinking about how it had been a while since we’ve had an update regarding the Chicago Bears stadium process, one flies across our radar.
The Bears are reportedly doing their “due diligence” on a potential stadium site on the South Lot next to Soldier Field along the lakefront, according to 670 The Score’s Parkins and Spiegel Show. The team is even using the same firm it used to explore the viability of possible stadium sites in Arlington Heights, Aurora, and elsewhere. This is just the latest development in a story that has taken many different turns since the team entered a purchase agreement to buy the Arlington Park property in 2021 with the intent to build a stadium and adjacent entertainment complex in the future.
It’s been a ride, so follow me for a moment:
Arlington Park still seems like the end game, but…
Even with interest from various other cities, towns, and municipalities, it still feels like a move to Arlington Heights is inevitable. The Bears, as a franchise, have spent money in suboptimal ways over the years. But even I can’t imagine them throwing down more than $197 million to pay for the Arlington Park property and not turn it into a Chicago Bears stadium project. Then again, this is the Bears we’re talking about and we know that weird things tend to happen with this franchise. Still, the signs seem to point to Arlington Heights.
And yet, not *ALL* signs point in the direction of that particular Chicago suburb. In fact, the exploration of doing a stadium project in downtown Chicago south of Soldier Field suggests that maybe a move out to the burbs isn’t fait accompli.
At a minimum, the Bears are keeping an open mind when it comes to extending their stay in the city. Maybe that is a negotiation play. Perhaps this is being done as a sign of good faith between two parties (the Bears and the city) that haven’t always seen eye-to-eye. I don’t know how the city would come up with the money for their portion of a future stadium in the city. But I like the idea that they’d kick the tires on such an opportunity.
Then again, even that won’t come easy:
There’s already opposition to a potential re-location of the Bears’ home. And I imagine the oddballs who helped put the kibosh on the George Lucas Museum won’t be alone as vocal opponents of a football stadium’s construction along the lakefront.
In the end, we should keep in mind that the Bears are “locked” into their lease with Soldier Field until 2033. And while the team can break from it in 2026 by paying $84 million to the city, that doesn’t seem feasible right now. Nor would it be a good idea since the team doesn’t have a future site locked down just yet. In any case, stay tuned. The next twist figures to be a doozy.
