Speculation has grown for months that the Chicago Bears finally decided on a direction for their stadium plans. Team president Kevin Warren spearheaded a determined effort alongside Mayor Brandon Johnson to build a state-of-the-art complex downtown. However, the Illinois state government refused to approve any public funding to help get it off the ground. Without it, such an ambitious plan would have been impossible. After months of discussions, Warren and the McCaskey family seemed to shift direction.
Arlington Heights was back on the table.
While Warren's efforts to keep the team in the city were stymied, the Bears made progress with the suburb on property tax agreements for the Churchill Downs lot. That seemed to jumpstart some serious momentum towards closing the deal on a stadium in Arlington Park. At last, Warren and George McCaskey spoke to the media on Friday, August 8th, confirming what many had felt was coming.
The Bears have everything in place to begin building the stadium on the property. All they need is legislative approval from Springfield in October. If they get it, Warren believes construction will begin by December.
Kevin Warren has finally picked a direction.
There is no more hedging bets. The pursuit of a downtown stadium was admirable. Plenty of people wanted to keep the Bears there. Unfortunately, the finances and the logistics just didn't line up. They own the Arlington Heights property outright, and building there won't cost as much. For the first time ever, the Bears will possess their own stadium and not be a tenant with a lease. Big plans are in motion. Kevin Warren insists they have a design in mind and believes once the shovels hit the dirt, everything can be completed in around 30 months. If he is correct, the Bears will host their first game in a new stadium in 2029.
