The Chicago Bears haven't had much time to rest and reflect over the past several months. Not only did ownership have to oversee a complete housecleaning of their football operations with a new GM and head coach, but they also continued the process of purchasing the extensive property of Arlington Park in Arlington Heights, Illinois. While they did have the winning bid, the deal itself isn't quite finalized yet.
There are several hurdles still to clear. Approvals are required from multiple entities before it can become official. Nobody has known for sure on any specific dates. There seems to be growing confidence that a finish line is in sight. According to Churchill Downs CEO Bill Carstanjen via Christopher Placek of the Daily Herald, expectations are the Bears will become owners of the land within the first six months of 2023 at the latest.
"The sale of the 326-acre Arlington Park property to the Chicago Bears is expected to close during the first half of 2023, Churchill Downs Inc. CEO Bill Carstanjen said Thursday. The Arlington Heights racetrack's corporate ownership provided a brief update on the sale process -- and noted the $197.2 million transaction depends on other approvals -- during a call with Wall Street analysts to review the Louisville, Kentucky-based company's 2021 year-end business results."







