Latest Shift In Chicago Bears Stadium Drama Just Sent A Clear Signal

The Chicago Bears stadium saga has been ongoing for three years. It started with the organization's bid and purchase of Churchill Downs in Arlington Heights. A standoff over property taxes then convinced team president Kevin Warren to look elsewhere for building sites. Eventually, he opted for the museum campus in downtown Chicago. That hasn't gone anywhere because the Illinois government refuses to entertain the idea of giving the franchise any public money.

This stalemate has persisted for months. It didn't change until negotiations in Arlington Heights finally reached a resolution on property taxes. Since then, it has looked more and more like the Bears are leaning in that direction despite Warren's constant assurances that they are focused on Chicago. If you weren't sure before, an update from Fran Spielman and Mitchell Armentrout of the Chicago Sun-Times poured fuel on the fire when they revealed key developers are frantically putting together a pitch to convince the Bears to consider the Michael Reese Hospital site.

It comes across as a glaring signal that the organization is all but gone.

In a Hail Mary attempt to keep the Bears in Chicago, developers of the old Michael Reese Hospital site are going public with their dazzling plan to build a Bronzeville stadium and an adjacent mixed-use development — with a great lawn extending over Du Sable Lake Shore Drive all the way to Lake Michigan.

Scott Goodman, principal of the Farpoint Development team that purchased the 48.6-acre site from the city, openly acknowledged that he has not met with the team, nor has he finalized the financing for either for the $3.2 billion dome or the $600 million in state money needed just to ready the site for development.

Developed by architect Lamar Johnson, the striking renderings for a stadium and ancillary development at the Michael Reese site have been floating around behind the scenes for months. But Goodman refused to share them publicly for fear of alienating Bears President Kevin Warren.

The Chicago Bears have reached the point of no return.

Warren stated unequivocally that his goal was to have shovels in the ground by 2025. It is now spring of that year, and he appears no closer to achieving his dream of a stadium on the museum campus. The only clear path to getting things started is Arlington Heights. The property tax hurdle is cleared. They own the property. Most of the funding issues are taken care of. Everything points to it being inevitable. Mr. Goodman will need one hell of a pitch on Michael Reese to change the momentum that has been building for months. The Chicago Bears took way longer than necessary to reach this point, but it seems as if Arlington Height is all but a reality. An announcement to that effect should happen sooner or later.