Full Grandstand Teardown Begins

Someone phoned authorities recently when a bear was spotted near Chicago's north suburb of Antioch.

No one should have been suprised.

The Bears have been all over the suburbs lately, and the city for that matter.

Of course, the Bears spotted everywhere except Antioch were the Chicago Bears and they're still looking around for a place to build their new home despite owning the property at Arlington Park racetrack.

Their search has landed them right back where it started when they decided Soldier Field was inadequate for the future, and that's in Arlington Heights. On Friday, they began demoltion of the grandstand structure itself at the Arlington International Racecourse. The destruction o the grandstand began on the east and west sides, working in to the center.

In May, they had begun the demoltion to the interior of the grandstand.

The grandstand is slated to be torn down by the end of the year, according to the Bears.

Destruction of the office, paddock and jockey buildings is slated for fall and would be done by the end of the year, as well.

Without any structures there, the thought is the property assessment should be much less.

The destruction of the structure does not mean the Bears have begun building a new stadium. Although it would need to be done to build an indoor stadium as they have planned, the teardown now is being done as a result of what the Bears deem an unfair tax assessment by Cook County. The property was assessed two years ago as a horse racing facility at about one fifth of what it's been assessed at now with the Bears owning it, at $197 million.

As a result of the assessment, the Bears not only began the teardown but have also responded to inquiries from other suburbs interested in letting them build a stadium.

Naperville tried luring them and now Waukegan has made a pitch. Waukegan's mayor Ann B. Taylor sent team president Kevin Warren a letter, detailing what the far north suburb could do for the team in light of the on-going dispute developing between the Bears and Cook County's assessor over the tax rate for the Arlington Heights property they bought.

Taylor touted proximity to Halas Hall and huge tracts of lakefront land in her pitch. It's about 20 minutes from Halas Hall near Interstate 94 to Waukegan's lakefront area.

Waukegan's pitch came after Naperville's mayor Scott Wehrli met with Warren June 2 to talk about the potential for a stadium in the DuPage County community, and after Warren had a video call with new Chicago mayor Brandon Johnson about the situation.

"Today we met and discussed our shared values and commitment to the city of Chicago, the importance of deep roots and the need for equitable community investment throughout the city," the two said in a joint statement issued to media. "We are both committed to the idea that the city and its major civic institutions must grow and evolve together to meet the needs of the future. We look forward to continuing the dialogue around these shared values."

What once seemed an obvious location for the Bears stadium at 326 acres of property in the northwest suburbs that they bought for $197 million, now is shrouded in uncertainty even as the wrecking ball is out.

The Bears have appealed the assessment for the track property and unless they can get it changed they will be looking at a reported $16 million in annual taxes.

The tax situation is only one of several dragging on their original plans, another being the lack of governmental support for required infrastructure improvement to build a $5 billion stadium/business project.

Whether the other communities putting their hats into the stadium ring can do something better for the Bears in infrastructure and taxes remains to be seen, but the fact the Bears already own the Arlington Heights property at Route 53 and Euclid Avenue still makes it the favored spot.

Chicago wanted to retain the Bears when Mayor Lori Lightfoot was still in office and came up with some proposals for a new stadium and for rebuilding Soldier Field again into a dome, but the relationship with her administration had soured from the time they refused to seriously consider team desires to build a sportsbook at Soldier Field.

It's a situation to continue watching.

Who knows, maybe Antioch will be in on the hunt for stadium property soon. One Bear already likes it there, apparently.

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