It’s been exactly 62 weeks since a column urging continued taxpayer vigilance regarding Chicago Bears stadium plans.
That March 13, 2024, piece noted that almost 13 months after the Lake Forest football franchise closed on its $197.2 million purchase of the former horse racing complex in Arlington Heights, it made a grand public showing of plans to pay $2 billion toward a $3.2 billion publicly-owned Soldier Field replacement just south of the current location.
“If not a bluff,” I wrote, “this shift potentially eases burdens on local and state governments facing pressure to leverage public resources to make the team’s dreams reality. School districts, especially, have haggled with the franchise over the value of the old racetrack, as those property tax implications greatly affect operating budgets.”
Friday, the Bears dropped the charade and announced they’re actually still focused on a $5 billion, mixed-use, transit-oriented development first touted in September 2022.
It’s important to keep using these dates and durations to contextualize the wasted days since the final horse race at Arlington. Projects of this scale demand substantial due diligence, but if the Bears hadn’t expended so much time and effort seeking a taxing body willing to cough up incentives – every ask thus far is the equivalent of a three-play drive ending with a punt into the wind – they’d probably be far enough along on construction to reasonably project Caleb Williams taking a snap in the new facility before the end of his rookie contract.
“The future stadium of the Chicago Bears will bring a transformative opportunity to our region – boosting the economy, creating jobs, facilitating mega events and generating millions in tax revenue,” Bears President/CEO Kevin Warren said in a March 2024 statement to ESPN. “We look forward to sharing more information when our plans are finalized.”
Contrast that with Friday’s statement to the Chicago Tribune: “Over the last few months, we have made significant progress with the leaders in Arlington Heights, and look forward to continuing to work with state and local leaders on making a transformative economic development project for the region a reality.”
The current party line is no pursuit of state funding for stadium construction, but even if the Bears don’t directly request money to deal with infrastructure, a development at the proposed scale would force the hands of many government entities, notably highway construction and public safety.
On the road this weekend, I observed the traffic implications of the Long Grove Chocolate Fest and shuddered to think how my drive would’ve been worse if Beyonce’s Cowboy Carter tour was in the suburbs instead of Soldier Field.
This project isn’t inevitable. It’s up to elected officials to keep public money from further enriching a private franchise.
• Scott T. Holland writes about state government issues for Shaw Local News Network. He can be reached at sholland@shawmedia.com.
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