Citing tax issues, the National Football League's Chicago Bears have publicly announced their plans to extend their search beyond the recently purchased Arlington Park as the site of their new stadium, NBC5 Chicago reports.
For those looking for a spark to preserve the racetrack, shuttered since 2021, hope still appears dim. The team has already received approval and plans to continue with phase one of the project to build the stadium, which calls for the demolition of the grandstand, paddock, and jock's room.
A statement from the Chicago Bears to NBC5 Chicago read as follows:
“The Chicago Bears goal of building the largest single development project in Illinois history led by billions of dollars in private capital investment, and the jobs and economic benefits generated, is at risk in Arlington Heights. The stadium-based project remains broadly popular in Arlington Heights, Chicagoland and the state. However, the property's original assessment at five times the 2021 tax value, and the recent settlement with Churchill Downs for 2022 being three times higher, fails to reflect the property is not operational and not commercially viable in its current state. We will continue the ongoing demolition activity and work toward a path forward in Arlington Heights, but it is no longer our singular focus. It is our responsibility to listen to other municipalities in Chicagoland about potential locations that can deliver on this transformational opportunity for our fans, our club and the State of Illinois.”
Thomas W. Hayes, the mayor of Arlington Heights, Ill., told NBC5 Chicago that the announcement by the Bears to shop other potential venues was “not an unexpected development.”
The Bears closed on Arlington Park, previously owned by Churchill Downs Inc., in February, paying $197.2 million for the 326-acre property.
With the Bears making their intentions known that other options are on the table, other Chicagoland communities have reached out to enter the running as the team's new home. Among them was Naperville, Ill., on the western outskirts of Metro Chicago near Aurora, Ill. The city's mayor has reached out to the team publicly and privately about attracting the stadium.
Read more at NBC5 Chicago.
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