(670 The Score) As the Bears continue to explore and take steps forward in potentially moving to suburban Arlington Heights and building their own stadium there, Chicago mayor Lori Lightfoot continues to stress that it makes more economic sense for the organization to remain downtown at Soldier Field.
Whether the Bears view it in the same way, Lightfoot doesn’t know. She shared her latest comments while joining the Mully & Haugh Show on 670 The Score on Thursday morning, initially answering a question that referenced Arlington Heights mayor Tom Hayes’ recent comments that his village could perhaps provide the Bears with some public financing.
“What I read was the Arlington Heights mayor is kind of hedging his bets,” Lightfoot said. “Look, of course he’s interested in embracing the idea of the Bears moving there. But what will the Arlington taxpayers say? And are they able to, on their dime, raise billions – and that’s billions with a B and plural – that it’s going to take to put up a casino? I’m dubious. Look, we’re going to keep our conversations with the Bears going. We have a working group to kind of look at the entirety of the Museum Campus, including Soldier Field. I’m confident that the numbers work in our favor. Now, what the Bears ultimately do, they’re going to do. But I’m confident that we can and will make a very compelling economic case for the Bears to stay in Chicago, far greater than anything that they could possibly get in any suburb, including Arlington Heights. You just will not get the tourist traffic that you get from being downtown in the city of Chicago, one of the greatest tourist destinations in the country and certainly I’d make the argument for the in world. You’re just not going to see it. We’ve got to make some enhancements to Soldier Field to really enhance not only the fan experience but the revenue opportunities for the Bears and the Park District. And we are fully prepared to do just that. But at the end of the day, they’ve got to make a decision about – and we don’t know, ultimately, what is their vision and plans for the franchise, because really that’s what this fundamentally comes down to. This isn’t just about a stadium. It’s about what is the future for the Bears and what do they plan to do with that franchise. And I think that’s really the question.”
The Bears signed a $197.2-million agreement to purchase the 326-acre Arlington Park property in late September, starting a formal exploration of a potential move from Chicago to Arlington Heights. The closing of that sale could take until early 2023, team president Ted Phillips has said, meaning the clock is ticking for Lightfoot and Chicago to entice the Bears to remain in their current home. The Bears have a lease through 2033 to play at Soldier Field.
Lightfoot’s comments Thursday morning hinted at the idea that the McCaskeys, who own the Bears, are be looking to build their own stadium in an effort to increase the franchise value and put the family in a more favorable position for a future sale of the organization. Soldier Field is owned by the Chicago Park District, so if all that matters to the McCaskeys is owning their own stadium, that’s something the city can’t compete with. A franchise owning their own stadium also opens up countless more potential revenue streams that come with less red tape, which surely is a factor in the Bears' thinking.
The state of Illinois isn’t considering giving the Bears public funding if they choose to build their own stadium, governor J.B. Pritzker said last September. Despite it appearing to be a bleak situation for the city, Lightfoot still has expressed hope.
“There are things that we can do in iconic Soldier Field to make it a much more enjoyable experience for the fans and substantially increase the revenue offerings there,” Lightfoot said. “We’re going to make that case to the Bears. We’ve started those conversations. And we’ll see what they say. As I said, this isn’t just a question about Soldier Field. That’s part of it. This is really about what they want to do with that franchise in the longer-term. That’s really what’s driving, I think, a lot of the discussion on their side as opposed to simply the amenities at Soldier Field. From a business standpoint, it doesn’t make sense for them to leave the city.”