Chicago Bears Send Strongest Message Yet On New Stadium Plans

If people were still wavering on the subject before, they shouldn’t be anymore. Common sense said the Chicago Bears were intent on building a new stadium when they bid $197.2 million for the Arlington Racecourse International property. Some weren’t ready to believe it. They felt the city still had plenty of leverage to prevent something like that. Mayor Lori Lightfoot was one of them. It wasn’t even a topic worth discussing.

Fast forward almost a year, and that confidence has dissipated. Chicago politicians are trying to find increasingly desperate ways to convince the team to stay at Soldier Field. The latest was an extensive plan to put a dome on the stadium and renovate the surrounding property to make it more fan-friendly. Most people weren’t impressed by the effort, knowing full well the requirements to make it happen were next to impossible. According to Christopher Placek of the Daily Herald, the Bears brushed the idea off without a second thought.

“The only potential project the Chicago Bears are exploring for a new stadium development is Arlington Park,” according to a statement from a team spokesman Thursday afternoon. “As part of our mutual agreement with the seller of that property, we are not pursuing alternative stadium deals or sites, including renovations to Soldier Field, while we are under contract.”

This shouldn’t be a surprise.

Lightfoot’s late effort may sound grandiose in scale, but the plan was never going to work at its core. That is because it doesn’t solve the original underlying problem that started this entire thing. Ownership. The Bears don’t own Soldier Field, so they don’t have the final say on any changes to the stadium or surrounding property. That belongs to the Chicago Park District, and the McCaskey family is finally fed up with the landlord-tenant relationship.

They’ve left a lot of money on the table for too long. Arlington was their way out and they took it. Building a new stadium means they’ll have ownership of it and be able to build the 326-acre property to meet their preferred specifications. Nobody else will tell them what to do. Unless the CPD suddenly offers ownership of Soldier Field, which is never happening, then any attempt at compromise is pointless.

Chicago Bears have no reason to bow to anybody.

They’re one of the most valued NFL franchises in the country, worth billions of dollars. They should be able to easily navigate the landscape for building a new stadium. If the Buffalo Bills can do it, they can do it. That is why they’ve begun consulting an architectural firm on the subject, the same one that helped build the Las Vegas Raiders’ beautiful Allegiant Stadium. If they get similar advice, then what the team comes up with should be gorgeous.

The tricky part is determining how they want to approach the building. Will it be a dome or will they opt for an outdoor venue that has been their tradition for the past 100 years? It depends on who you ask. Many fans love the idea of a climate-controlled facility with all the bells and whistles. Others think the Chicago Bears would surrender one of their best advantages in the notorious Midwest weather. Not to mention being like everybody else is boring.

Answers are forthcoming.

The team is expected to close the deal officially by the middle of 2023. They should have a clear plan in place by then. The groundwork for the property will soon follow. Not only will the new stadium be built, but so will surrounding venues to help drive revenue streams like restaurants, hotels, and other facilities.