Bears: Too Early For Timeframe Of Possible Arlington Heights Move

ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, IL — The Chicago Bears believe that they may have a winning site for a future home for their franchise in Arlington Heights, but said Monday they are a long way from determining if and when that might happen.

Speaking for the first time on the topic since the Bears agreed to pay $197.2 million for the site of the Arlington International racecourse, team Chairman George McCaskey said that team President Ted Phillips will oversee the project.

Phillips said that the purchase agreement likely won’t be closed until later in 2022 or even in the first quarter of the 2023 that would move the Bears from their Lakefront home to Arlington Heights.

In May, Arlington Heights Mayor Tom Hayes told media outlets, including Patch, that he felt that the 326-acre site could be a good fit for the Bears if they were indeed interested in moving out of Chicago.

McCaskey said Monday that the team’s exploration of the Arlington Heights property was determined by the seller of the site. McCaskey said that the Bears were contacted by the seller’s agent and that team officials saw the site as an “outstanding, long-term proposition with high potential for the Bears.”

He added: “Right now, all we’re doing is exploring the property’s potential. We don’t even own the property yet and any questions beyond that would be premature right now….we’re exploring the viability of building a football stadium non that property.”

In the meantime, he said that the Bears are happy to engage with officials from City of Chicago and the Park District about a plan that would keep the team at its downtown home. McCaskey said the last interaction with city officials took place “a few weeks ago.”

In September, after the Bears paid the $197 million and signed a purchase agreement to buy the racetrack site, Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot said she would do everything she could to keep the Bears where they were at Soldier Field. However, she said she would not do so if it hurt city taxpayers.

"I'm going to continue to do what I can [as mayor] to keep them here in Chicago. I don't think that door has been closed by any means," Lightfoot said at the time. "I also need to make sure I'm doing, first and foremost, what's best for the taxpayers of the city."

Phillips said Monday that once the closing on the property takes place, team officials will decide if it is “financially feasible” to try to develop the site further. Phillips said that the team’s long-term plan for developing the site for a new stadium would focus exclusively on the Arlington Park site.

He characterized the property as unique opportunity for Bears and said there isn't a space like in the greater Chicago area. Phillips said the potential venue could up providing a space for entertainment purposes as well as a new home for the Bears.

“(The space is) an entertainment destination with multiple facets to it that I think could really help put Arlington Heights on the map as a destination spot," Phillips said.