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Movement Reported Toward Slimmed-Down Bears Arlington Heights Bill

The megaproject bill would give way to legislation targeted mainly at the Bears and an Arlington Heights dome, according to one Crain's Chicago Business report.
Gene Chamberlain|
The Bears stadium rendition from Manica, the firm they contracted to design their Arlington Heights facility.
The Bears stadium rendition from Manica, the firm they contracted to design their Arlington Heights facility. | Rendering: Manica

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Chicago Bears

Although it seems there is a standoff to the Bears stadium bill in Springfield, things are reportedly developing behind the scenes to provide a possible resolution and allow an Arlington Heights dome to go forward.

An altered version of the so-called megaproject bill for a Bears stadium could be developing that would keep the Bears from moving to Hammond, Indiana, if it does culminate in a vote.

According to Justin Laurence of Crain's Chicago Business, lawmakers in Springfield are discussing a smaller bill other than the sweeping bit of legislation aimed at negotiated payments in lieu of taxes for construction projects costing over $100 million. This bill would specifically target the Bears and Arlington Heights. Then a broader megaproject bill for the rest of the state would be left for the future, if at all.

Such a bill could provide the Bears with the tax certainty they say they need in Arlington Heights. There still would be the matter of the public-funded infrastructure requirements for the stadium, at about $860 million. However, the chief obstacle is the tax certainty.

Narrowing the target

The bill initially was intended to be targeted for the Bears but was broadened into the megaproject during the early stages of legislative talks in order to get more legislators on board. Now, this basically is being washed away and it's a slimmed-down bill again according to Laurence's report. He also said it's only one of several options being discussed.

To illustrate, it's as if the bill is a caterpillar who became a butterfly, and now is back to being a caterpillar. Maybe the caterpillar becomes law. Anything to provide hope at this late hour before the Bears' May 31 deadline is a potential deal maker. They've said they plan to make an announcement on their choice between Arlington Heights and Hammond, Ind. in the late spring or early summer, and this spring legislative session ends in Illinois Sunday night at midnight.

The targeted legislation is needed instead of the broader bill because it was feared the larger bill could prevent school districts around the state from receiving needed tax funds.

There's no guarantee this change would allow the bill to become law if it passed. Because it would alter the bill approved earlier by the House, the House would  then have to vote again on the legislation after it passes the Senate. In the end, it must be signed by Gov. J.B. Pritzker but he has been stumping for the project over the last month. That part seems assured once it gets through the legislature.

While city politicians continue to claim the Bears should stay in Chicago and have considered it again, there has been no change publically from the team to its stance that the only two sites being considered are Hammond, Ind. and Arlington Heights.

The Hammond Bears

The Indiana site is built on or near an industrial waste dumpsite and there were soil tests performed by the team, but no results have been forthcoming.

Mayors of three communities near Arlington Height claim the team has not submitted a traffic study of the area around the former Arlington International Racecourse site that the team owns.

Skeptics, like Cook County treasurer Maria Pappas, believe the Arlington Heights property is merely being used by the Bears as leverage to pressure lawmakers into passing Illinois legislation, and that the team would never actually leave the state they've played in since 1920.

It's a big assumption to make.

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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.

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