Chicago Bears could move to new stadium

CHICAGO (CBS) — The Bears person signed a acquisition statement for the Arlington International Racecourse spot successful Arlington Heights, but Mayor Lori Lightfoot said her medication volition spell connected moving to support the squad successful Chicago.

The Chicago Bears and the Village of Arlington Heights released a connection Wednesday morning, confirming the squad signed an statement to acquisition the Arlington Park spot and perchance physique a caller stadium there.

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Bears President and CEO Ted Phillips released the pursuing statement:

“We are excited to person executed a Purchase and Sale Agreement (PSA) for the Arlington Park property. We are grateful to Churchill Downs Incorporated for their efforts to scope this point. We besides admit the enactment of Mayor Tom Hayes and the Village of Arlington Heights. Finalizing the PSA was the captious adjacent measurement successful continuing our exploration of the spot and its potential. Much enactment remains to beryllium completed, including moving intimately with the Village of Arlington Heights and surrounding communities, earlier we tin adjacent connected this transaction. Our extremity is to illustration a way guardant that allows our squad to thrive connected the field, Chicagoland to prosper from this endeavor, and the Bears enactment to beryllium ensured a beardown future. We volition ne'er halt moving toward delivering Bears fans the precise champion experience. We volition proceed to supply updates connected our advancement astatine the due time.”

Arlington Heights Mayor Tom Hayes besides confirmed the Purchase and Sale Agreement signed to bargain the Arlington Park property.

“There is simply a agelong mode to spell arsenic we statesman this journey, and galore issues for the assemblage to discuss, but the Village is committed to moving with the Bears enactment and each stakeholders to research this accidental for Arlington Heights and the northwest suburban region,” Hayes said.

In a tweet Tuesday night, Mayor Lightfoot wrote: “My connection inactive stands connected the Bears: my admin remains committed to continuing the enactment to support the squad successful Chicago. As I person said galore times, our doorway successful City Hall remains open.”

My connection inactive stands connected the Bears: my admin remains committed to continuing the enactment to support the squad successful Chicago.

As I person said galore times, our doorway successful City Hall remains open. https://t.co/7pm7mLtCOc

— Mayor Lori E. Lightfoot (@chicagosmayor) September 29, 2021

On June 17, the Bears released a connection saying they submitted a bid to acquisition the Arlington racetrack property.

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In a tweet astatine that time, Phillips said “it’s our work to research each imaginable enactment to guarantee we’re doing what’s champion for our organization.”

The racetrack was forced to adjacent for a mates months past twelvemonth owed to the pandemic, but resumed equine races successful July. But Churchill Downs announced successful February that the racetrack would beryllium going up for sale, and its past horseraces were held this past weekend.

The Bears person been playing astatine Soldier Field since 1971 – they shared Wrigley Field with the Cubs earlier that. The astir caller stadium renovation took spot successful 2003.

The stadium went done monolithic renovations astir 2 decades agone astatine a outgo of implicit $600 million. Even with the upgrade, Soldier Field inactive has a capableness of lone 61,500, smallest successful the NFL. There are 13 stadiums that clasp much than 70,000.

CBS 2’s Matt Zahn reported successful June that Arlington Heights has been a agelong rumored imaginable moving spot.

Just the size of the spot astatine 326-acres, compared to the 17 acre parkland Soldier Field sits on, makes it an charismatic spot, on with casual entree to a Metra halt and the expressway.

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In May, CBS Sports reported the squad was “seriously considering” a determination retired of Chicago.