ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill. (WLS) — According to a statement from Mayor Brandon Johnson’s office on Friday, the Chicago Bears are focusing on Arlington Heights for their new stadium.
Johnson spoke with Bears executive leadership, who indicated they intend to prioritize the Arlington Heights site, the statement said.
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Johnson said the door remains open to the Bears in Chicago.
Arlington Heights recently approved a deal to open a formal review of the Bears’ $5 billion plan to build a stadium in the suburb.
Having owned the 326-acre property at the former Arlington racetrack for over a year, the Bears initially unveiled plans for a new stadium and entertainment complex. However, they later shifted their attention to a potential new downtown Chicago stadium.
While a new downtown stadium has a lot of supporters, no one has yet figured out how to pay for the extensive infrastructure improvements needed.
Despite exploring the option of building a new stadium next to their current home at Soldier Field on the Chicago lakefront, the Bears have reaffirmed that Arlington Heights remains a top priority.
Arlington Heights officials say the financial analysis as well as traffic impact studies could take several weeks or even months.
But, if the numbers work out, they are hoping to see construction equipment on the property sometime soon.
The video in the player above is from an earlier report.
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