As the Bears keep trying to finagle a new stadium in Chicago, one of their suburban options has gotten a long-awaited boost.
Via Mitchell Armentrout of the Chicago Sun-Times, the Bears have reached a tentative deal with Arlington Heights and local school district leaders over the tax bill for the potential stadium site the team previously purchased.
The agreement will make it easier for them to build the stadium there, but they say their first choice remains staying in Chicago.
The Bears bought the land for nearly $200 million, with the goal of putting a stadium there. The tax issue complicated matters, which coincided with renewed efforts to remain in the city.
It gives the Bears a viable Plan B, if they continue to fail to make political progress on the public funding needed for an enclosed facility on the lakefront.
If nothing else, the presence of a clear option might get the powers-that-be to loosen the pursestrings. If not, the Bears at some point will change their focus — unless they plan to stay at Soldier Field indefinitely.
With relocation not an option, the only leverage will come from surrounding towns and villages. And the Bears have pursued multiple possibilities. Finally, one of them might be viable enough to get Chicago’s attention.
