Arlington Park Demolition: Village Approves Permits For Phase 1

ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, IL — Get out the wrecking ball. The Village of Arlington Heights announced Friday it has approved permits for Phase 1 of the demolition of Arlington Park, per a request made earlier this month by the Chicago Bears. The approval allows for interior demolition, the first step in a phased process, of certain structures at the former horse racing track.

The phased demolition will start by knocking down the interior of the grandstand at the 326-acre property. The cost for the entire demolition process is projected to be around $4 million.

Officials said Friday that permits for exterior demolition of buildings will be reviewed and approved separately by both the Village of Arlington Heights and Cook County. They also said increased truck traffic due to the interior demolition is possible in the area. The property will continue to be monitored by security.

RELATED: Mayor Says Village Has No Authority To Stop Demolition Of Arlington Park

In February, the Bears closed on a $197.2 million property agreement to buy the former Arlington Park racetrack. Team officials called it a "major step" in an expected long process geared toward building a new stadium and entertainment district on the property.

Earlier this month, Arlington Heights Mayor Thomas Hayes said the Village has no authority to withhold approval of demolition at the site "if the application is complete and if the property owners' demolition plans comply with the village code."

"The Village is in the process of reviewing the application to ensure that it is complete and any plans to demolish structures are consistent with requirements in the village code," Hayes said at the time. "Unlike residential or downtown applications, the issuance of commercial demolition permits in Arlington Heights is not subject to discretion."

The Bears have said in the past that if things move forward with the team leaving Chicago's Solider Field and starting play in Arlington Heights, the stadium “mega-project” would be one of the largest in Midwest history.

The Village also released a demolition traffic route map for the project. As future phases of the demolition are proposed and considered for approval by the Village, updates will be posted to the Village's website.

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