Planning a $2 Billion New Home Within City Limits, Chicago Bears Completely Pivot From Year Long Hustle

Just last year, the Chicago Bears decided to purchase a massive space that formerly hosted the Arlington International Racecourse to build their new team facility. But to anyone’s surprise, these plans aren’t going to materialize, as the Bears have announced a plan for their new publicly owned facility — to a lakefront site south of Soldier Field. The future home turf of the club is expected to be full of wonders and perhaps even more, but the Da Bears aren’t at all impressed.

Notably, the club purchased their 326-acre property in Arlington Heights for a whopping $197.2 million. The Bears, however, are now investing over $2 billion in the new stadium, putting an end to the plans they have been chasing for over a year. Their new facility promises to be an ideal venue for all fans, families, and, of course, the general public, as envisioned by CEO and President Kevin Warren.

“The future stadium of the Chicago Bears will bring a transformative opportunity to our region — boosting the economy, creating jobs,a facilitating mega events and generating millions in tax revenue,” Warren said in a statement, as per NBC Chicago.

Delving into the details, the new stadium will likely include restaurants, real estate, and retail space, which were previously announced for their project in Arlington Heights. The front office is yet to release the design, with only publicizing their plans to build a dome stadium.

Fans Are Fuming With Chicago Bears’ Stadium Announcement

Undeniably, the vision formulated by the Bears to create an open space for the fans to enjoy is an applaudable step. However, Da Bears are concerned about how a publicly owned facility is seen as inferior to a private stadium. They feel that the team has ‘fumbled big’ and will regret this decision in the long run — all for tax exemptions.

One fan said, “Arlington Heights seems like such a weird place to put the Bears.”

Another chimed in and said, “What a poor business decision by the Bears. The short term pain of tax assessment is nothing compared to the gargantuan losses they will realize vs a fully-owned stadium.”

This fan, however, had a controversy to share, “Sounds like someone threatened them politically. Arlington Heights made sense on so many levels“.

This one quipped,

Last but not least, a fan remarked,

Though fans have kept the Bears’ decision under intense scrutiny, the team has already taken their call on the matter. Despite what it might appear, it is not a short-lived plan. In the run-up to this landmark decision, Warren met Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson several times to build a vision together.

The discourse also included meetings with mayors from Naperville and Chicago to ascertain the team’s needs and demands. Now that the development is soon to begin, the Chicago Bears are expected to put their property in Arlington for sale after the former’s completion. However, they could also keep it as an option to deal with any unforeseen issues arising from a semi-private facility, as highlighted by the fans.