(670 The Score) As the city of Chicago works to entice the Bears to stay at Soldier Field by floating ideas to make stadium enhancements, the organization remains committed to its agreement to purchase Arlington Park.
In an official team statement Friday, the Bears pointed to their contractual agreement to purchase the 326-acre Arlington Park property. The statement came one day after Chicago mayor Lori Lightfoot unveiled a comprehensive plan to upgrade the lakefront museum campus and to explore renovations to Soldier Field.
“The only potential project the Chicago Bears are exploring for a new stadium development is Arlington Park,” the Bears said in a statement. “As part of our mutual agreement with the seller of that property, we are not pursuing alternative stadium deals or sites, including renovations to Soldier Field, while we are under contract. We have informed the city of Chicago that we intend to honor our contractual commitments as we continue our due diligence and predevelopment activities on the Arlington Heights property. In the meantime, we remain committed to fulfilling our permit operating agreement (POA) at Soldier Field. To this end, we maintain a strong working relationship with Rosa Escareno, the new Chicago Park District general superintendent, her staff, and the ASM Global management team.”
In June 2021, the Bears announced their intention to place a bid on the Arlington Park property in northwest suburban Arlington Heights, a site that had hosted thoroughbred racing since 1927. The track closed to racing last fall after being placed up for sale by its owner, Churchhill Downs Inc. The Bears signed a $197.2-million agreement last September to purchase the land.
Bears team president Ted Phillips, who's leading the franchise’s exploration of Arlington Park, has indicated closing on the land could take until late this year or early 2023.
“We’ll decide whether it’s financially feasible to try to develop it further,” Phillips said in January. “And I think what’s important now is that our focus for long-term development is exclusively on that property at Arlington Park.”
The city’s detailed plan includes concepts for a “renewed” Soldier Field, including the potential for a sponsored naming rights deal, updating seating configuration and adding a roof to make the facility a year-round venue. The proposal also includes improvements to the land and accessibility surrounding Soldier Field.
The Bears began exploring Arlington Park after a breakdown of dialogue between the team and city in recent years regarding improvements to Soldier Field. When the Bears announced in June 2021 that they would bid on Arlington Park, Lightfoot called it a “clearly a negotiating tactic” and “noise.” The team won its bid three months later and agreed to purchase the land.
The Bears have a lease on Soldier Field through 2033, but the team could break that lease for $84 million as early as 2026, the Chicago Tribune has reported. That's when construction on a new stadium could reasonably be completed.
Soldier Field has the smallest capacity of any NFL stadium at 61,500. The stadium underwent a drastic $400-million renovation in 2002.
The Bears have played at Soldier Field since 1971.
Chris Emma covers the Bears, Chicago’s sports scene and more for 670TheScore.com. Follow him on Twitter @CEmma670.
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