Plenty of people have opinions on what the situation really means regarding the Chicago Bears‘ pursuit of a new stadium. Many of them think the recent push by Kevin Warren and his people for a possible domed complex on the lakefront south of Soldier Field is nothing more than a feint. It is all a crafted move to force Arlington Heights back to the negotiating table on the property tax issue for the Arlington Park land. It appears to have worked, as decision-makers are making headway on lowering the demanded number.
However, Dan Wiederer of the Chicago Tribune is hearing differently. He was at the owners meetings in Orlando, Florida, this week. While others were busy figuring out the situation with Caleb Williams and the Bears’ draft plans, he decided to ask around about the stadium issue. Surprisingly, the feedback was abundant. From what he’s heard, the Bears’ push for a lakefront home is not a mirage. It is real and appears to be their preferred outcome. Not just them, too. Many around the league are hoping for the same.
The Chicago Bears likely see where the dollar signs are.
They stand to make more money by staying downtown than they do by shifting to the suburbs. Besides, too many teams around the NFL already have left downtown areas for the suburbs. It never quite feels the same. It’s the San Francisco 49ers, not the Santa Clara 49ers. It’s the New York Giants and Jets, not the East Rutherford Giants and Jets. Warren wants to keep the Chicago Bears in Chicago, not have them basically become the Arlington Heights Bears in all but name. People don’t come to Illinois to visit Arlington Heights. They come to Chicago.
Plenty of people think this is a bad idea. A lakefront stadium could mean the Bears won’t have primary ownership over the building again. They’d be in the same situation they are with Soldier Field, at the mercy of the Chicago Park District. Yet it appears they may have a plan for that since much of the project will be privately funded. That could give them far more leverage in future negotiations. Whatever the case, the warning signs have become impossible to ignore. They are dead serious about pushing this downtown stadium through.
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I think Arlington Heights offers the space for the Bears to not only have a state-of-the-art stadium but also to have enough property to plan other profitable endeavors. Downtown Chicago has traffic and parking problems along with a city that hasn’t been a very good landlord in keeping the property it top shape. I think starting fresh in Arlington would be the better choice if they could agree on a reasonable tax structure.
Jack60616- That’s a bias take. KC and New England both play in open stadiums!😉
I wonder if the Bears will lose the competitive advantage (if they ever become revelant again) by playing in a Dome Stadium. History shows that teams that play in open air stadiums make it to the Superbowl around 70 percent of the time.
People come to visit Dallas too, not Arlington, but once they see that kick ass stadium and all of the entertainment that Texas Live offers, there is no need to go to Dallas. Not to mention it is easier to get in and out of, accessible by 2 airports, and 20 min from downtown Dallas and Fort Worth. Sound familiar Chicago?
Yes, I’m sure the Bears are going to spend 200 million dollars on a property, let it sit there while paying taxes, spend another 2 billion on a stadium owned by the public with the same traffic and parking problems that the previous stadium has, all for a wonderful view of a lake that an influential group seems to have a strangle hold on.