Bear Digest

Bears Achieve Lower Cost in Tax Dispute Pending Approval

The Bears will get an annual tax bill of $3.6 million for Arlington Heights area school districts as the long-standing dispute appears over but is a stadium to follow?
Gene Chamberlain|
The old Arlington International Racecourse grandstand and building are gone and now the Bears tax dispute soon will be.
The old Arlington International Racecourse grandstand and building are gone and now the Bears tax dispute soon will be. | Photo: Gene Chamberlain, Chicago Bears On SI

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The Bears' great tax struggle with three Arlington Heights area school districts has been settled for about the annual cost of a starting center.

The Bears are paying $3.5 million out of their salary cap this year for center Coleman Shelton and the settlement for their dispute over the Arlington International Racecourse property with the three taxing districts is $3.6 million a year in taxes.

The settlement hasn't yet been finalized and won't be until next week when Northwest Suburban High School District 214, Palatine-Schaumburg School District 211, Palatine Elementary District 15 and Arlington Heights itself take it under consideration for votes at separate meetings.

The property is being assessed at 10% of the fair market value rather than the common 25% according to the Arlington Heights Daily Herald. The race track grandstand and offices were demolished, making its fair market value less. They had sought a rate making payment about $1.7 million but the districts' demands would have made it just below $9 million, according to the Herald report.

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This rate in the proposal runs through 2027. If the Bears submit formal plans and properly seek zoning approval for any project involving the property, such as a stadium, the rate could remain the same but if they don't it could be subject to increases of 2% to 5% according to the Consumer Price Index, reported the Daily Herald.

The Bears have said they're still aiming for a stadium in Soldier Field's south parking lot but are considering the Michael Reese hospital property south of McCormick Place.

The Arlington race track property was their original plan for a $5 billion stadium and was put on the backburner while they pursued a lakefront stadium.

Nothing final has been decided on any of these potential sites as funding from the state remains a problem. The Bears have said they're willing to commit about $2 billion to the project on the lakefront.

The tax agreement reached also says they'll all lobby Gov. JB Pritzker for a state tax break lasting from 23 to 40 years, according to the Herald.

The settlement doesn't necessarily mean a stadium is coming to the northwest suburbs but it does remain a possibility.

Twitter: BearsOnSI

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Gene Chamberlain
GENE CHAMBERLAIN

Gene Chamberlain has covered the Chicago Bears full time as a beat writer since 1994 and prior to this on a part-time basis for 10 years. He covered the Bears as a beat writer for Suburban Chicago Newspapers, the Daily Southtown, Copley News Service and has been a contributor for the Daily Herald, the Associated Press, Bear Report, CBS Sports.com and The Sporting News. He also has worked a prep sports writer for Tribune Newspapers and Sun-Times newspapers.