Chicago Bears new stadium in jeopardy after new development

The Chicago Bears’ plans for a new stadium may be taking a 180. A report from Front Office Sports over the weekend revealed the prominent NFL franchise may be in talks with a new location after originally agreeing to begin construction in Alrington Heights.

“The Chicago Bears’ seemingly inevitable move from Soldier Field to Arlington Heights has taken a massive turn, as the NFL team has entered separate talks with another suburban Illinois locale,” Front Office Sports reported. Per FOS, folks from the Bears were in Naperville this past Friday inquiring about potentially moving the new stadium site there.

“Scott Hagel, the team’s senior vice president of marketing and communications, claimed that long-running efforts to build a $2.2 billion domed stadium in Arlington Heights — including a large land deal and the start of racetrack demolition — are now ‘at risk.’ Hagel’s comments arrived as senior Bears executives met on Friday with Naperville mayor Scott Wehrli.”

However, nothing is remotely set in stone regarding the Naperville opportunity. The Bears seem to be perusing their options for the new stadiums while still maintaining focus on the Alrington Heights project.

“We will continue the ongoing demolition activity and work toward a path forward in Arlington Heights, but it is no longer our singular focus,” team officials wrote in a statement, per FOS. “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.”

The reason Arlington Heights was such an attractive possibility is because the stadium plans included a dome, which would put the new building in contention to host large-scale indoor events such as the Final Four or Super Bowl.

Now, the whole plan may be in jeopardy over tax issues, says Front Office Sports.

“The team’s surprise move to open talks with Naperville arrives amid a new dispute over the tax assessment on the Arlington Heights Racecourse property the Bears purchased from Churchill Downs for $197.2 million. The still-pending issue could dramatically alter the economics of the proposed stadium and mixed-use development project.”

Interesting development in Bears world. Of course, any new stadium would still be years down the road, even if a new agreement is reached in Naperville or if Chicago ultimately decides to stay with the Arlington Heights location. Solider Field may be in its final few years, but it will last as the home of the Bears for at least another couple seasons.