Something strange is going on. The latest we’ve heard about the Chicago Bears and their pursuit of a new stadium was an apparent pivot away from Arlington Heights. Multiple parties have been trying to strongarm the organization with high property taxes. In response, team president Kevin Warren has begun listening to proposals from other townships like Waukega, Aurora, and Naperville. He’s leaving all doors open, making it clear that just because the Bears own the Arlington Park property doesn’t mean they are under any kind of requirement to build the stadium there.
Amidst that, Warren also took a meeting with new Chicago mayor Brandon Johnson. There was a belief the two sides could at least discuss the possibility of the Bears staying in the city, provided it was at a new location that wasn’t Soldier Field. Most people shrugged that off as an unlikely outcome. Johnson had no reason to take such a political risk since the entire mess was created by his predecessor, Lori Lightfoot. Well, things may have just picked up some steam when the two sides released this cryptic statement.
This message is oddly timed by the Chicago Bears.
When taking it at face value, it means nothing. The only thing they’re saying is the two sides talked, which everybody already knew. However, it could also be a carefully-worded signal that the Bears hopes of staying in the city aren’t dead yet. It means there has been good communication between the two sides. That is something that hasn’t always been the case for this franchise and the Chicago political landscape. There is also a lot of potential positive momentum at stake.
Imagine what keeping the Chicago Bears in the city could do for Johnson’s political ambitions. He’d be viewed as a savior in the eyes of many. The man who rescued a longstanding tradition from coming to an end. On the flip side, staying in Chicago with control of their own stadium is the exact result the Bears can possibly hope for. Maybe this is all a bluff to get Arlington Heights to cave on property tax demands. Yet it’s difficult not to see this statement as a message that something is happening.
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