NFL Owners Briefed On Bears’ Stadium Plans As Arlington Heights Remains First Choice

As the NFL’s owners meet in Florida this week to discuss primarily matters related to the business of their sport, the Bears will brief them on their efforts to build a new stadium (largely subsidised by taxpayers).

According to executives with other teams, some of whom have ties to Bears president Kevin Warren in the past (he is leading the movement for an alternative home to downtown Chicago), the Bears would be thrilled to land a deal with Arlington Heights, and that is far and away their preferred locale for a new project, but the Indiana location remains viable as a fallback plan.

The Bears are a signature franchise and a true regional team for the NFL, and securing their future in a stadium that will allow every owner to profit and prosper is an issue that goes far beyond just their franchise. 

Some in NFL circles believed the project at Arlington Heights would have come to pass by now, and the amount of time and energy and money spent purchasing that land formerly used as a racetrack and preparing it for development speaks to that.

According to league sources, the prospect of maximizing the returns from the mixed-use development of that massive swath of land remains a priority for the franchise, but they are still awaiting clearance from the state of Illinois on several matters and did not want to be stuck without leverage or alternatives. It’s hardly out of the question that they end up in Indiana, but the sense around the league is that it's more of Plan B than the ideal situation for the relocating franchise.

Any Chance Of Staying In Chicago?

The Bears are resigned to leaving downtown Chicago and purchased the parcel in Arlington Heights three years ago with hopes of making a smooth transition there. 

NFL franchises are notoriously cut-throat when it comes to their billionaire owners securing the maximum tax breaks and free money from local jurisdictions to guarantee maximum return on their investment, and in a league where moving storied franchises has never been taboo, it’s not surprising the Bears' situation will come down to multiple states being pitted against one another to subsidize the uber-wealthy.

The Bears are hopeful to have this issue resolved before the start of the season, but nothing conclusive is expected at this league meeting.