The Chicago Bears hired Kevin Warren as their new team president last month. One of the primary selling points was his track record for getting big deals done and his experience in building a new stadium. He stated that was his primary goal. It appears the man might not be wasting any time. Initial projections from the Bears said they should secure the official purchase of Churchill Downs in Arlington Park by the end of the first quarter of 2023. That means sometime in March.
Chicago insider David Kaplan thinks that may come sooner than people think. He went on his YouTube page with breaking news. It appears all employees of Churchill Downs were informed that they must vacate the property with their possessions by the end of business on Tuesday, February 14th. Their access will cease after that. It is the strongest indication yet that the sale is imminent, and the Bears will soon be the official owners of the 326-acre property. Once that is done, their plans for the new stadium can truly take shape.
The Chicago Bears face some interesting challenges ahead.
An unexpected one is the recent passing of longtime part-owner Andrew McKenna. He had a strong voice in the proceedings over the past several months. It will be interesting to see if there is a succession plan of some kind. Then there is the obvious next step of designing an actual stadium. The Bears have already put forward a rough idea of how they want the property to look with new restaurants and other entertainment venues. The stadium itself hasn’t taken shape. Warren should play a big part in that.
The new team president earned league-wide respect for how he handled the establishment of U.S. Bank Stadium in Minnesota. That project finished on time and under budget. These are two things Chicago Bears ownership hopes to achieve as well. It took two and a half years for that stadium to reach completion. This means if the Bears operate along a similar timeline, their new home could be completed somewhere around 2026. It will be interesting to see when the news finally drops.
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Finally, some new news.
Can’t wait. Booking my ticket now for Game 1 at Pappa Bear Stadium in Arlington Heights.