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Bears stadium talks gain momentum as publicly owned Arlington Heights plan emerges
The Chicago Bears and Illinois lawmakers appear closer to a potential Arlington Heights stadium deal, but questions remain over public ownership, taxpayer costs and infrastructure.
CHICAGO - There's some renewed optimism the Chicago Bears will stay in Illinois and build a new stadium on property they already own in Arlington Heights.
Bears stadium latest
What we know:
The latest meetings involving Bears minority owner Pat Ryan, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, Gov. J.B. Pritzker and top Illinois lawmakers have put the Bears' stadium saga back in the spotlight. One idea that could help break the stalemate is a publicly owned stadium.
Crain's Chicago Business is reporting a public stadium authority model is something "more palatable" to members of state house lawmakers from Chicago, who did not support giving the Bears property tax breaks to leave the city. The Chicago Bears’ potential path to building a new stadium in Arlington Heights is veering toward a model that would leave ownership of the venue to a stadium authority rather than the team itself.
State Sen. Bill Cunningham, a Chicago Democrat, sponsored legislation that passed the Senate earlier this year.
Cunningham says the bill would allow municipalities of a certain size to establish their own stadium authority.
Under that model, the Bears could privately finance construction, while the stadium itself would ultimately be publicly owned.
Cunningham says that could address one of the Bears' biggest concerns: property taxes.
"It essentially empowers municipalities of a certain size to establish their own stadium authority. Under that scenario, the Bears could pay for the stadium with private financing as they have said they are willing to do. And they can enter into an agreement with the municipality and the stadium would become a publicly owned building and publicly owned buildings do not pay property taxes," said Cunningham.
Dig deeper:
The bill passed the Senate but did not make it through the House before the spring session ended. Now, with lawmakers signaling optimism about the possibility of legislation during the upcoming veto session, the proposal could get another look. But a publicly owned stadium would create a new set of questions — particularly for the communities surrounding the former Arlington Park property.
Rolling Meadows Mayor Lara Sanoica says her community supports keeping the Bears in Illinois, but wants to make sure taxpayers aren't left carrying a disproportionate share of the cost.
"Whatever the ownership structure ends up be, we wanna make sure that taxpayers aren't disproportionately receiving the burden from this development," Sanoica said. "We want everyone in Illinois to win."
Rolling Meadows would be particularly affected by a stadium at the Arlington Park site. The city borders the property on three sides, while Palatine is also nearby. Sanoica says that makes regional cooperation critical, particularly when it comes to infrastructure and traffic.
"There really aren't very many NFL sites quite like this, where you have three municipalities specifically," said Sanoica.
For Bears fans who have been waiting years for a decision, patience is wearing thin. Brent Khazei owns the Birds Nest in downtown Arlington Heights and is a Bears season ticket holder. He says he's frustrated by how long the stadium process has dragged on.
"I think time has come. People are just like, tired. Get it done. Get to the table, get it done. Everyone knows this is the place, the perfect spot. It's going to be here. Whatever it takes, just get it done," said Khazei.
Khazei also questions whether a publicly owned stadium is the right answer.
"I don't really have an opinion on that, but I don't see it being advantageous to the public to own it. I really don't. I don't think you'd see the revenue from it," added Khazei.
He also said many Bears fans he knows are already worried about the possibility of the team ending up in Indiana.
"Some of my friends, they'll go anywhere. They'll go to Indiana or wherever. I know I won't, and I know a good group of people that won't," said Khazei. "It's just too far to travel, to be honest. I know it doesn't seem that far, but it's far enough and it's another state."
What's next:
The Bears have maintained their sole focus right now is building a stadium development project in Hammond, Indiana. However, Fox Chicago confirmed several meetings between the Bears and state lawmakers over the summer even after they made that declaration.
For Arlington Heights, Rolling Meadows and neighboring communities, the next questions may be just as important as where the stadium is built: who owns it, who pays for it and who pays for the infrastructure surrounding it?
The Source: The information in this report came from Crain’s Chicago Business, State Sen. Bill Cunningham, Rolling Meadows Mayor Lara Sanoica, Arlington Heights business owner and Bears season ticket holder Brent Khazei, the Chicago Bears, Illinois lawmakers, and FOX Chicago reporting.