The Bears eventually will get a new stadium in the Chicago area. Where that is remains to be seen.
With efforts to build a replacement for Soldier Field on the downtown lakefront stalling, Arlington Heights hopes to get back in the mix.
The biggest impediment has come from property tax issues related to the property purchased by the Bears with the goal of building a new facility. Now, via the Arlington Heights Daily Herald, the Bears have received and responded to a proposed settlement from Arlington Heights as to the outstanding tax issue.
As of last year, the Bears were offering $4.3 million and the town wanted $7.9 million. (Per year, presumably.)
“We’ve worked very hard to come to an agreement with the school districts that I think the Bears can be comfortable with, and that’s been communicated to the Bears, and that’s what we’re discussing now,” Arlington Heights mayor Tom Hayes told the Daily Herald. “So I feel very comfortable that should the Bears re-engage with us and continue to explore the Arlington Park site, that the road is going to be much easier than we found in past months.”
Officially, the Bears say they’re focused on the lakefront option. Team president Kevin Warren, however, has said that the team is not yet ready to put the property in Arlington Heights up for sale.
Thus, as long as the Bears own the site, the Bears could end up building a stadium there.