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Plan B for New Bears Stadium?
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Even while they are tearing down the interior of the grandstand at Arlington Park racetrack, the Bears seem to be having second thoughts about the site for a new stadium.
Bears president Kevin Warren met with Naperville Mayor Scott Wehrli Friday morning to discuss the possibility of a stadium development in Naperville instead of Arlington Heights, according to the Naperville Sun and Chicago Tribune.
As they were to meet with Naperville officials, the Bears issued a statement saying the Arlington Park site is "no longer our singular focus."
The statement said the plans for the Arlington Park site are "at risk in Arlington Heights. The stadium-based project remains broadly popular in Arlington Heights, Chicagoland and the state. However, the property's original assessment at five times the 2021 tax value, and the recent settlement with Churchill Downs for 2022 being three ties higher, fails to reflect the property is not operational and not commercially viable in its current state."
The Bears maintain they are paying far too much in taxes to own the property that was purchased at $197 million. It was assessed at $197 million as a vacated piece of property the Bears bought but it had been assessed at $33 million while being operated as a race track.
The Bears had started the demolition Tuesday in order to cut down the taxes amount and asked for a re-assessment in order to get the amount they must pay reduced.
The plan in Arlington Heights has met with constant opposition, first from former Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot as she tried to get them to reconsider staying in Soldier Field. The state government refused to consider tax revenue to help with the project and then local taxing bodies, particularly school districts, opposed the construction of the site.
A spokesman for the Cook County Assessor's office told NBC Sports the property value has been assessed based on market value.
According to the Daily Herald, Arlington Heights Mayor Tom Hayes hasn't given up on the situation.
"We've gotten pretty far down the road in terms of their redevelopment of that site," Hayes told the Herald. "I understand there's challenges ahead that still have to be overcome. But I continue to think that the Arlington Park property is a very unique property that would be in the best interest of the Bears for their football stadium for the next 50 years or more."
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