Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker has made clear that he does not think building a stadium for the Bears is a good use of taxpayers’ money, but yesterday he agreed to listen to what Bears President Kevin Warren had to say about it.
However, after the meeting, Pritzker’s spokesman told the Chicago Tribune, “the governor’s position has not changed.”
The spokesman downplayed any idea that the meeting was a step toward the state of Illinois helping the Bears build their stadium, saying that Pritzker “regularly meets with business leaders and Mr. Warren is the head of an Illinois-based business.”
The Bears are eager to leave Soldier Field for an upgraded stadium. They initially said they would build that stadium on land they purchased in the Chicago suburb of Arlington Heights, Illinois, but they changed those plans when told what kind of property tax bill to expect on that stadium project. Then the Bears’ attention turned to a new stadium to replace Soldier Field on the Chicago lakefront.
But the Bears’ plan calls for money to come from the state, and that appears unlikely to happen.