Chicago's Incoming Mayor Shares Thoughts on Bears' Relocation to Arlington Heights
The Chicago Bears' future appears to be leaning towards a relocation to the nearby suburb of Arlington Heights. However, the city's mayor-elect, Brandon Johnson, isn't ready to accept the Bears' departure as a done deal.
Johnson, who secured his victory in a runoff election against Paul Vallas on April 4, is set to assume office as Chicago's next mayor on May 15. He recently appeared on the Mully & Haugh show on 670 The Score, where he discussed his determination to keep the Bears in the city. Johnson has requested that the team's ownership allow him to evaluate their current situation at Soldier Field and explore potential solutions together.
During the show, Johnson shared his thoughts:
Keeping the Bears in the city of Chicago is important. And the field should not be confined to eight games and hopefully a playoff game or two. It's a beautiful campus, and it's an entire infrastructure that the city of Chicago has not fully tapped into. I want to make sure that the field, the museum, the entire campus is used in a way that speaks to our excellence.
While Johnson's remarks indicate he's following in the footsteps of his predecessor, Lori Lightfoot, in trying to keep the Bears in Chicago, it may already be too late to halt the team's move to Arlington Heights.
The Bears have been working on their relocation for nearly two years, starting in June 2021 with a bid to acquire the 326-acre property that once housed the Arlington International Racecourse. A purchase agreement was reached in September 2021, and since then, an architectural firm has been hired to design a potential new stadium. The team has also released renderings of a proposed entertainment district surrounding the stadium and, as of February 2022, officially completed the property purchase.
Despite their enthusiasm for the Arlington Heights move, the Bears have also stressed that a purchase agreement does not guarantee the development of a new stadium district. They emphasized the need for further due diligence in a February 15 open letter.
Newly appointed Bears President Kevin Warren, formerly the Big Ten Commissioner, has experience with NFL stadium construction from his time with the Minnesota Vikings. Warren, who took on his new role on January 12, has made it clear that his primary focus is on the Arlington Heights property and that he won't be entertaining other options, including Soldier Field renovations.
Warren praised the McCaskeys' support during his introductory press conference:
As seen at: Chicago Mayor-Elect Sounds Off on Bears' Move to Arlington Heights
| POLL | ||
12 AVRIL | 129 ANSWERS Chicago's Incoming Mayor Shares Thoughts on Bears' Relocation to Arlington Heights Do you want the Bears to move out of Soldier Field? | ||
| Yes | 86 | 66.7 % |
| No | 43 | 33.3 % |
| List of polls | ||
