Everybody has judged Kevin Warren as a complete buffoon because the new Chicago Bears team president hasn't yet gotten the stadium project going. It's easy to forget the man has barely been in charge for less than two years. He wasn't the one who got the ball rolling on the project. That was his predecessor, Ted Phillips. It meant Warren had to take over a plan in an organization full of people he was unfamiliar with. To say nothing of the fact that contrary to popular myth, stadium plans don't magically come together at the snap of a finger. They often take long, contentious negotiations.
People assume Warren is stuck in the mud because he's trying to negotiate a deal for a downtown stadium near the lakefront. This hasn't gained much traction due to the resistance of Governor J.B. Pritzker and the state government. However, it is looking increasingly likely that the Bears president was playing a double game intent on getting decision-makers in Arlington Heights to lower their property tax demands. New evidence from Christopher Placek of the Daily Herald suggests this tactic worked perfectly.
Negotiations ramped up in the weeks following revelation of the Bears’ $4.7 billion plan to redevelop the Chicago lakefront with a publicly owned domed stadium anchoring a recreation and cultural campus.
The day of the April 24 press conference where Bears President/CEO Kevin Warren and Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson touted the plans, Arlington Heights officials worked with their lobbyists to craft messaging to the public, press and politicians.
It was evident Warren had them on the defensive based on reactions when negotiations resumed.
“On behalf of the school districts I wanted to send a message sharing that we are happy to be reengaging on the MOU and have had productive discussions with the village since we last spoke,” Rowe wrote in a July 30 email to the Bears’ Warren. “We are hopeful that we can get together in the near future and begin building our path forward together in Arlington Heights. Best of luck with the start of the season!”
Warren replied the next day.
“Scott: Thank you. Best, Kevin”
Initially, school districts demanded an annual property tax of $8.9 million on the Bears. Warren's pivot has gotten that number down to less than half.
The Bears are still appealing the 2023 tax bill to the Illinois Property Tax Appeal Board, but the settlement would lower the annual bill to $3.6 million from 2024 at least through 2027. It could remain that amount if the Bears submit formal plans seeking village zoning approvals for a new stadium and then apply for building permits to begin construction, under terms of the deal.
If this was the plan, Kevin Warren executed it flawlessly.
The Bears may still wish to make something happen on the lakefront. They've considered trying a different area from the one south of Soldier Field that wouldn't get as much resistance from activist groups and wouldn't cost as much to renovate. Warren stated that his goal was always to get shovels in the ground by 2025. He still has time. If the state government doesn't offer some sort of help, the Bears now have Arlington Heights in their back pocket. They can say it was always their plan to build there. Negotiations just weren't going how they wanted for a while.
It's not like Kevin Warren is the first to use flirting with different locations as leverage in talks. Anybody worth their salt would be smart to do so. Why? Because it works. The Bears got the exact outcome they wanted. Everything is in place. They own the property. Taxes won't be too egregious. The NFL is ready to pitch in with considerable funding. Warren may still seek help from the state, but the road is clearer than ever to start construction. Everything depends on if something breaks on the lakefront pursuit.
