When the news first hit that the Chicago Bears were interested in purchasing Arlington Racecourse International, it set off major speculation. Was the team interested in moving out of Soldier Field? Subsequent weeks have since confirmed this is the case. Tired of the smaller venue, outdated accommodations, and constantly dealing with the Chicago Park District, the McCaskey family seems intent and going a new direction.
It was just a matter of whether they’d submit the winning bid. After a long wait, Scott Powers of The Athletic dropped the bomb. The Bears have successfully signed a purchase agreement for the property. This is major news. The team has called Soldier Field home since 1971. With this massive 326-acre plot of land in their control, they now have the necessary foundation to build their own stadium along with a surrounding village of other entertainment outlets.
Suffice to say the city representatives are in a difficult position.
The Bears have signed a purchase agreement for the Arlington International Racecourse property in suburban Arlington Heights, Ill., The Athletic has learned. The team is expected to announce the news Wednesday morning.
“We are not surprised by this move. We remain committed to continuing the work to keep the team in Chicago and have advised the Bears that we remain open to discussions,” a spokesperson for the mayor’s office said in a statement to The Athletic. “However, just as the Bears view this as a business decision so does the City. This season, Soldier Field signed a major contract with the Chicago Fire and just last weekend Soldier Field hosted the Shamrock Series — both of which are lucrative for the Chicago Park District and local economy.”
This move has felt inevitable for a long time. The Chicago Bears have always had a tense relationship with the Park District over the status of Soldier Fields. As other teams have begun moving into more and more luxurious stadiums, they no doubt felt they were missing out on serious revenue opportunities. Things soon came to a head when team president Ted Phillips approach the CPD about a possible sportsbook in the stadium.
When the team was brushed off about the idea, they move to place their bid for Arlington just two weeks later. Mayor Lori Lightfoot, so confident that the team would not be moving at first, quickly changed her tune once she realized how serious this was. Now she and the city face an uphill battle to convince the Bears to stay. Given the number of hurdles ahead. It feels like that is an impossible battle.
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