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“Over the last few months, we have made
significant progress with the leaders in Arlington Heights, and
look forward to continuing to work with state and local leaders
on making a transformative economic development project for the
region a reality," the team said in a statement on Friday.
Bears President Kevin Warren said six weeks ago at the NFL
meetings that the team was turning at least some of its focus
from the Chicago lakefront to the suburbs. The latest statement
seemed to take it a step farther.
Though the Bears finalized the purchase of a 326-acre property
in Arlington Heights in February 2023, their main focus the past
year had been on building an enclosed stadium next to their
longtime home at Soldier Field. Their plan to transform
Chicago’s Museum Campus got a full endorsement from Mayor
Brandon Johnson but a tepid reception from Illinois Gov. JB
Pritzker and state legislators when it was announced in April
2024.
In September 2022, the Bears unveiled a nearly $5 billion plan
for Arlington Heights that also called for restaurants, retail
and more, when they were finalizing the purchase of that site 30
miles from Soldier Field. Their focus shifted toward the Chicago
lakefront after Warren was hired as president two years ago to
replace the retiring Ted Phillips.
“Arlington Heights, I keep going back to it, it’s an absolutely
fantastic piece of land,” Warren said at the league meetings.
“To be able to have 326 acres that close to a wonderful city is
difficult to do. I don’t know if it exists anywhere in the
country.”
There have also been talks with developers of a tract of land on
the South Side about building a stadium and mixed-use
development on the site of the old Michael Reese Hospital. But
the team has rejected the 48.6-acre site in the past, saying it
was too narrow and that commuter train tracks presented
engineering challenges.
Since moving to Chicago in 1921, the Bears have never owned
their stadium, whether playing at Wrigley Field from 1921 to
1970 or Soldier Field since then. The team hopes to start
construction this year.
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