(670 The Score) Where the Bears will build a new stadium remains a mystery, and Arlington Heights isn’t out of the race just yet.
The Bears and the northwest suburb recently made progress in discussions regarding a new stadium, as Mark Carman of CHGO first reported Monday and as confirmed by Score morning host David Haugh. Previously, the Bears have been at odds with local school districts in the Arlington Heights area regarding tax assessments.
That was one of the reasons why the Bears in March shifted their stadium focus back to building a new state-of-the-art facility on the Chicago lakefront, but that crusade driven by president Kevin Warren has gained little to no traction as lawmakers in Springfield rejected the organization’s request for public funding in the most recent legislative session. The Bears pledged more than $2 billion of their own money for a project that the franchise claimed would cost around $4.7 billion, but Sun-Times reporting suggested the project could end up costing taxpayers around $6.9 billion in total.
All the while, the Bears continue to own the 326-acre Arlington Park in Arlington Heights, a tract of land that cost them $197 million and which they closed on in 2023. That site is about as shovel-ready as it gets, as demolition of the old horse racing track took place last summer and fall.
“I got the same confirmation – yes, there have been productive discussions with both parties as they continue to go toward a possible deal in Arlington Heights,” Haugh said on his show Tuesday morning. “The news of it isn’t necessarily that they’re close to a deal. I think the news of it is they’re still talking to them. They haven’t shut that door to Arlington Heights.”
What type of progress the Bears made with Arlington Heights officials wasn’t immediately clear.
The Bears have played their home games at Soldier Field since 1971, operating under a lease through the Chicago Park District. That agreement runs through 2033.