HICAGO (CBS)–The Chicago Bears are shifting their plans from building a new stadium in Arlington Heights to helping fund a new stadium in the City of Chicago, the team announced Monday morning.
Bears President and CEO Kevin Warren said in a statement the team would contribute over $2 billion to build a new stadium in Chicago.
“The Chicago Bears are proud to contribute over $2 billion to build a stadium and improve open spaces for all families, fans and the general public to enjoy in the City of Chicago,” Warren said in the statement.
“The future stadium of the Chicago Bears will bring a transformative opportunity to our region — boosting the economy, creating jobs, facilitating mega events and generating millions in tax revenue. We look forward to sharing more information when our plans are finalized.”
As of Monday, it was unclear exactly where the new stadium would be built and what would happen to Soldier Field, which first opened in 1924 and has been the Bears’ home stadium since 1971.
Last summer, the Bears’ plan to build a new stadium appeared to be focused on the site of the old Arlington International Racecourse in the northwest suburbs, after the team had spent millions to buy the site and tore down the racetrack.
But earlier this year, the team appeared to put that plan on the back burner in favor of building their new stadium along the Chicago lakefront.
“There’s a benefit for the Bears of staying in Chicago. They agree,” Mayor Brandon Johnson said on Monday. “There’s a benefit to public use. That’s what I’ve been pushing. The second thing, they agree.
They also recognize that we have a fiduciary responsibility with private and public partnerships to ensure that there’s an ultimate benefit as well as not the heavy burden that historically has been the case.”
