Plenty of people have opinions on what the situation really means regarding the Chicago Bears‘ pursuit of a new stadium. Many of them think the recent push by Kevin Warren and his people for a possible domed complex on the lakefront south of Soldier Field is nothing more than a feint. It is all a crafted move to force Arlington Heights back to the negotiating table on the property tax issue for the Arlington Park land. It appears to have worked, as decision-makers are making headway on lowering the demanded number.
However, Dan Wiederer of the Chicago Tribune is hearing differently. He was at the owners meetings in Orlando, Florida, this week. While others were busy figuring out the situation with Caleb Williams and the Bears’ draft plans, he decided to ask around about the stadium issue. Surprisingly, the feedback was abundant. From what he’s heard, the Bears’ push for a lakefront home is not a mirage. It is real and appears to be their preferred outcome. Not just them, too. Many around the league are hoping for the same.
The Chicago Bears likely see where the dollar signs are.
They stand to make more money by staying downtown than they do by shifting to the suburbs. Besides, too many teams around the NFL already have left downtown areas for the suburbs. It never quite feels the same. It’s the San Francisco 49ers, not the Santa Clara 49ers. It’s the New York Giants and Jets, not the East Rutherford Giants and Jets. Warren wants to keep the Chicago Bears in Chicago, not have them basically become the Arlington Heights Bears in all but name. People don’t come to Illinois to visit Arlington Heights. They come to Chicago.
Plenty of people think this is a bad idea. A lakefront stadium could mean the Bears won’t have primary ownership over the building again. They’d be in the same situation they are with Soldier Field, at the mercy of the Chicago Park District. Yet it appears they may have a plan for that since much of the project will be privately funded. That could give them far more leverage in future negotiations. Whatever the case, the warning signs have become impossible to ignore. They are dead serious about pushing this downtown stadium through.
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