CHICAGO (WBBM NEWSRADIO) -- The City of Chicago does not appear to be taking the "high pressure approach" to keeping the Chicago Bears in Soldier Field.
The Chicago Bears signed an agreement to purchase the Arlington Park racetrack property in late September; and while Mayor Lightfoot said she would work with the Bears to keep the team in Soldier Field, emails obtained by Crain's Chicago Business found just one high-level meeting between city officials and officials with the Chicago Bears.
Crain's reporter Greg Hinz said the two sides didn't even talk about a new, longer lease at Soldier Field.
"The one meeting that I referenced that they did have, all they talked about according to emails setting it up was talk about improvements in the current lease, which expires in 2030. Nothing about a new lease," Hinz said.
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Hinz said it may not be possible to keep the Bears in Soldier Field, because the team stands to make so much more money from a stadium it owns in the northwest suburbs.
"Given the fact that there's a lot of money to be made in Arlington Heights, a lot of observers in official football think the team would do a lot better financially there than in does in Soldier Field. Now it is hard to compete with that and that may be what's going on," Hinz said.
"If the team goes, you can't place all the blame on Lori Lightfoot, although she will certainly carry her share. This goes back to the decision to renovate Soldier Field rather than build a new field."
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He added that Mayor Lightfoot would face an uphill political battle to secure public money to address all of the Bears needs at Soldier Field.
The Chicago Bears' lease at Soldier Field is up in 2033, but the team can pay a penalty to break the lease as early as 2026.
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