(670 The Score) The Bears hope to have a decision finalized on the location for their new stadium in the next 12 months, and the team believes it would take around three years to construct the new state-of-the-art facility once ground is broken, president/CEO Kevin Warren said recently on an NFL on NBC podcast hosted by Peter King.
Warren didn’t put an exact year on the timetable for when the Bears could play in a new stadium after King brought up 2027 and 2028 as possibilities. Warren also continued to keep the possibilities open for where the Bears will construct a new stadium. The expectation continues to be that the location will be Arlington Heights, as the Bears acquired the 326-acre Arlington Park property, but tax assessment tension exists there, so there remains plenty to work out. The Bears have fielded overtures from other municipalities such as Naperville, and Warren continues to keep dialogue open with Chicago mayor Brandon Johnson.
“Everything is on the table,” Warren told King. “We had that period where we were focused on Arlington. We have some issues to still work on. There’s a possibility there. But one of the things that I promised myself and promised the McCaskey family is that I would come in and take a fresh look on what’s the right thing to do. If it turns out to be Arlington, it turns out to be Arlington. If it’s somewhere else, if it’s in downtown Chicago – one thing that makes this environment so special is God really kissed downtown Chicago with that lakefront. I don’t think there’s any place in the country that has beauty.
“I want to be very thoughtful. What’s the right thing for our fans? What’s the right location?”
Warren again stressed the need for patience.
“We need to be diligent and not rush into it because this is a 40-to-50-year decision, and I want to make sure I’m a great listener during this process and we really land it the right way,” he said.
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