Bear Digest

Bears' Patience Regarding Stadium Legislation Reportedly Exhausted

According to one report, the Bears need to see some sort of progress very soon from Illinois lawmakers regarding the Arlington Heights stadium site.
Gene Chamberlain|
Behind closed doors at Halas Hall, the patience for Illinois to get the stadium legislation going has run out, says one report.
Behind closed doors at Halas Hall, the patience for Illinois to get the stadium legislation going has run out, says one report. | Gene Chamberlain photo | BearsOnSI

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Chicago Bears

There is every reason for Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker to be worried because his final chance to keep the Bears from leaving Illinois now has a deadline of sorts applied.

According to Marc Silverman of ESPN AM-1000, the Bears have reached the end of their rope with politicians in the state. Without Illinois legislative approval of their Arlington Heights property stadium plan by the end of this month, they will take the Indiana stadium deal that is now in the process of getting approval by the Hoosier state's legislature and governor.

It's not just idle radio discussion when the source is at Halas Hall throughout the football season like Silverman and sidekick, former Bears receiver Tom Waddle. There is a source for the comments Silverman made. ESPN AM-1000 is the flagship station for Bears radio broadcasts.

"They prefer the land, they prefer to remain in the state of Illinois, but if by the end of the legislature session in February, they hear (from Illinois) 'Wait, we need more time or it's a no-go,' the Bears, from what I've been told, are gone," Silverman said during his show on Tuesday.

Pritzker has reportedly been working in the background on this, and the Bears require Illinois legislation passed that approves their plan for a tax rate freeze which has already been negotiated with area taxing bodies, and also the $860 million in infrastructure improvement so they can then build and pay for the $2 billion domed stadium on their own property.

The Illinois Legislative Calendar

Until recently, Pritzker and the Springfield Democrats sought to not only ignore the Arlington Heights plan by the Bears, but also keep them at Soldier Field, the NFL's smallest stadium. They used false claims like the Bears need to pay off the bond on the Soldier Field reconstruction, which is actually the city's debt—the Bears have paid off their end of it.

All of the posturing is over in the Bears' eyes, said Silverman.

"From what Ive been ...  my understanding is, the Bears have been at this for three years," Silverman said. "They're frustrated, too. They'll take their bags and they'll move to northwest Indiana."

That gives the legislature and Pritzker little time to work on the bill because Silverman amended his comment later to include early March and not just late February. The spring session runs until the end of May, but there are points with breaks within it and the next one is Feb. 27. Also, and more importantly, the deadline for submitting legislation is this Friday.

Silverman stressed that for the skeptics are wrong who call it a case of the Bears applying leverage.

"That's not the basis of this—they're getting a great deal in Indiana," Silverman said.

Waddle compared the Indiana deal to the on Jerry Jones has for the Cowboys' stadium in Texas, which isn't actually owned by the team but is managed by them.

The Indiana deal would not be a lease like the one they have through 2033 for Soldier Field.

"They will build the stadium for the Bears; the Bears will run the stadium," Silverman added. "There will not be an Indiana park district or any sort of issue (like in Chicago) where the park district could invite this soccer game or this concert. The Bears will have ... they will basically be the superintendent of the stadium."

The Indiana house and governor must approve the plan yet, and it has passed the Senate.

Although Silverman confirmed what Arlington Heights mayor Jim Tinaglia said in an interview on WSCR last week was true—that Bears ownership wants to stay in Illinois—time is now of the essence.

The delays and posturing by the Illinois politicians are coming home to roost.

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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.