CHICAGO (WBBM NEWSRADIO) -- Governor JB Pritzker is weighing in on the Chicago Bears purchase of the Arlington Park property, and by the sounds of it, he is not too excited about the news.
Illinois Governor, and self-proclaimed Bears fan, JB Pritzker said it would be "disappointing" if the NFL team moved outside the City of Chicago.
“I've been watching them at Soldier Field for an awfully long time,” Pritzker said during a press conference Thursday morning. “There's something about having them in the city and nearby that's attractive to me and something I care about."
The Governor then admitted that the Chicago Bears is a private enterprise and has every right to engage with city governments to decide what’s best for them.
When asked if he’d consider setting aside any state funding to build a new stadium in Arlington Heights, Pritzker explained he had other priorities.
“It's not something that we're looking at,” Pritzker said. “As you know, it's very important for us to focus on our fiscal situation in the state; making sure that we're building up the infrastructure of the state and that we're balancing our budget.”
Despite his lackluster response to the latest news from the Bears, Governor Pritzker is holding onto hope that the franchise will stay at Soldier Field.
“I think that the Bears and the City of Chicago need to work out their differences in order for us to end up with the Bears staying in the city.”
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