A few days ago, Chicago Bears President Kevin Warren and Chicago mayor Brandon Johnson released a joint statement saying they’d had a productive discussion regarding the organization’s future. They would also continue to have regular dialogue moving forward. Most people chalked it up to nothing. Just a random statement. However, others (myself included) felt a cryptic message was hidden beneath the surface. Perhaps it was a signal from both parties that the idea of the Bears staying in the city wasn’t dead yet.
Sure enough, the other shoe dropped a few days later. Jeff Hughes of Da Bears Blog has long been known for having quality sources inside the organization. He’s broken some big stories over the past couple of years, including Ryan Pace’s firing. So it was a minor bombshell when he dropped this tweet on Monday.
The jist of it is straightforward. Warren has opened the door for having the stadium built somewhere other than Arlington Heights, which was unlikely under Ted Phillips. Part of the problem is the massive pushback on property taxes. Then there is the confirmation that the talks between Warren and Johnson have been far more productive than expected.
The Chicago Bears are operating under a different paradigm.
Warren has made it clear from the start that he will always think big for his franchise. Moving to Arlington Heights was a nice idea, but imagine the pageantry involved if he could wrangle a new stadium inside the city limits free of the Chicago Park District’s control. It would be a coup for the organization and a gigantic political victory for Mayor Johnson. He’d be viewed as the man who saved Bears football in Chicago. The obvious challenge is finding the property necessary to make it happen.
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There are rumored options that could be on the table. South Works is the first to come up, the site of a former U.S. Steel manufacturing plant. It is a massive 415-acre property with lakeside access. Unfortunately, it’s sat vacant for 30 years due to competing agendas on what to do with it. Putting a new Chicago Bears stadium there could be the catalyst for long-overdue development.
Then you have The 78 and Lincoln Yards sites along the Chicago River. Last but not least is the McCormick Place Lakeside Center along the lakefront, which has been discussed for removal for years. Politics will make these discussions difficult for Warren, but his track record says not to bet against him. If he can negotiate USC and UCLA in the Big Ten or massive TV deals with NBC, he won’t fear going toe to toe with politicians over this.
