(670 The Score) Chicago mayor Lori Lightfoot isn't giving up just yet on her hopes to keep the Bears at Soldier Field.
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.
Members of Lightfoot's staff are working on a plan for the Bears, she told the Mully & Haugh Show on Friday.
“We’re going to continue to do everything we can to keep the Bears in Chicago,” Lightfoot said. “We’re working on some plans to present to them that I think will make a very, very compelling financial case as to why it makes an abundance of sense for them to stay in Chicago. We’re a tier-one team and a tier-one market, a tier-one audience, fan base, and I don’t think they can get that in Arlington Heights. But ultimately, the decision will be theirs.
“When it comes to Soldier Field, it’s not secret I’ve said, we need to significantly enhance the fan experience. It takes too long to get there. It’s too hard. And if you’re on the west side of the stadium or in one of the end zones, frankly it’s a crappy fan experience.
“When the weather starts getting closed, it’s not a pleasant experience. Whether the Bears stay or go, and I hope they stay – and we’re going to keep working on it – we can do a lot more to enhance the quality of the fan experience, and frankly our assets and our revenue.”
Soldier Field has a capacity of 61,500, the smallest in the NFL. Aside from the Bears, its only other tenant is the Chicago Fire of the MLS, who averaged 10,443 fans in 2021.
The Bears have called Soldier Field their home since 1971 and are currently renting the city-owned property on a lease that runs through 2033. The Arlington Park property was put up for sale last year by its owner Churchill Downs Inc. after holding horse racing since 1927.
“It’s 326 acres,” Phillips said in January. “It’s a extremely unique property. There’s nothing else like it in Chicagoland. So, the opportunities, we haven’t even begun to envision what it could be. But we’re hopeful that if we close, that we’ll be moving forward with turning it into a wonderful destination site.”