With the Chicago Bears’ season mercifully ending Sunday in a 29-13 loss to Minnesota, focus turns to the prospects for constructing a brand new stadium in Arlington Heights.
The group’s abysmal 3-14 efficiency this season will land them a prime draft place. Whether it impacts their possibilities of getting taxpayers’ assist to construct their dream house is an open query.
Either approach, the clock is ticking. Team officers have mentioned they anticipate to determine whether or not to purchase the previous Arlington International Racecourse property within the first quarter of 2023. The Bears even have mentioned they’ll’t construct the venture with out authorities assist. With the funding determination unlikely to come back within the subsequent couple of months, the group in all probability first must determine whether or not to purchase the 326-acre web site, then later make the decision on whether or not to develop it.
The upcoming turning level comes simply because the ante is being raised on a plan to renovate Soldier Field, the group’s present dwelling. Last summer season, Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot offered a proposal to both put a dome on the stadium at an estimated price of $2 billion, or to make it prepared for a dome, or flip it right into a multiuse facility.
Now, Landmark Development, which has proposed the One Central high-rise housing growth subsequent to Soldier Field, is proposing including sweeteners to the stadium renovation plan. They would come with new “immersive” fan experiences, premium membership lounges, meals halls, a close-by leisure district and multimodal transportation hub.
But as they did final summer season, group officers say they continue to be targeted solely on shopping for Arlington Park.
“We remain on track to close on the Arlington Park property in the first quarter of 2023,” spokesman Scott Hagel mentioned. “As we have said publicly, closing on the land does not guarantee we will develop it.”
While it might appear unusual to purchase the location and never construct on it, proudly owning the land could be an funding that would give the group extra leverage in negotiations with town and state, and the village of Arlington Heights.
In October, the group and the village board reached a predevelopment settlement that enables for tax increment financing, particular service areas, or particular assessments. Ultimately, the village board will determine whether or not to offer any native tax breaks for the venture.
Similarly, an thought was floated in Springfield to offer the group a fee in lieu of tax, or PILOT deal, a tax break typically used for nonprofits, which might require a change in state legislation.
Arlington Heights Mayor Thomas Hayes mentioned the ball is now within the Bears’ palms.
“We have done all we can to assist them in helping them make the final decision,” Hayes mentioned. “We’re waiting for them to complete the due diligence on their purchase agreement.”
He couldn’t promise taxes wouldn’t be raised, however mentioned village officers are working to ensure everybody’s issues are addressed, together with these of downtown enterprise house owners.
“The village and the Bears are very sensitive to the concerns, and want to make sure this is a win-win for everybody,” Hayes mentioned.
Whatever the result, economists typically agree that sports activities stadiums make awful public investments.
A University of Chicago ballot of economists in 2017 discovered that 57% agreed that the prices to taxpayers are more likely to outweigh the advantages, whereas solely 2% disagreed. Football particularly is problematic, as a result of groups solely play at dwelling about 10 occasions a yr.
The Bears proposed constructing an enclosed stadium to deal with different occasions, together with the Super Bowl, faculty playoffs or concert events, however such occasions are few and much between, mentioned Allen Sanderson, an economics professor on the U of C.
“There’s just no way to make that pay, and somebody has to pay,” Sanderson mentioned. “The question is, is it the taxpayers, the Bears or the NFL?”
Team officers have mentioned they might pay for the $2 billion stadium, however would want “property tax certainty” and authorities assist to construct infrastructure comparable to roads and utilities for the encircling $5 billion business and residential growth.
But the present temper of taxpayers, residents and Bears followers suggests little assist for public subsidies.
A ballot by Americans for Prosperity–Illinois, a libertarian group, discovered that 72% of Arlington Heights responding residents supported the Bears’ proposed new stadium, however 68% opposed utilizing tax {dollars} to assist the group.
In October, the village board rejected a petition by the group to ban “corporate welfare” for the group or every other recipients.
Now, the group has narrowed its petition to ban subsidies for the Bears alone. It is making an attempt to gather hundreds of signatures to bypass the board and put the query on the poll within the 2024 presidential election.
With the Bears coming off the group’s worst season in years, Brian Costin, the group’s deputy state director, mentioned the persistent dropping document raises doubts in regards to the group’s means to handle its affairs.
“I do think people are skeptical of the Bears’ ability to deliver a winning project,” he mentioned, “and that’s seeping into people’s views on whether they should be given subsidies.”
Public sentiment might play a task within the Bears’ efforts to get taxpayer assist.
Recent NFL historical past means that on-field success helped generate assist for related tasks. Two franchises that gained big public subsidies for brand spanking new stadiums, the Buffalo Bills and Tennessee Titans, each turned Super Bowl contenders earlier than getting their cash final yr.
In Chicago, assist for such tasks has soured. Taxpayers are nonetheless paying their $432 million plus curiosity of the $690 million it price to renovate Soldier Field in 2004.
The White Sox received $150 million in taxes to assist construct a brand new stadium in 1991 — solely after group proprietor Jerry Reinsdorf threatened to maneuver the group to Florida.
The United Center received a property tax break, however then-Mayor Rahm Emanuel canceled that in 2016, which ended plans for an leisure and retail advanced subsequent door.
The Cubs needed to pay for a $375 million renovation of Wrigley Field themselves after metropolis officers refused to assist.
Even some Bears followers who need to see a brand new stadium need the group to pay for it, with just a little assist.
Jack Hopkins, a 23-year-old resident of Bloomington, could be rather more inclined to go to video games if an indoor stadium have been in-built Arlington Heights. The growth plan, together with bars, eating places, outlets, parks, a resort and a health middle, might make recreation days extra enjoyable, he mentioned.
He acknowledges that the stadium might herald tax income, so he’s OK with native governments serving to to fund important infrastructure, however he doesn’t assume the group ought to get public cash to construct the stadium itself.
“A multibillion-dollar organization, I would prefer that they would be able to do that themselves,” he mentioned.
Nick Focci, 38, of Roscoe seems to be ahead to simpler parking on the attainable Arlington Heights web site. Soldier Field “was just never fan-friendly,” he mentioned.
But he’s by no means excited in regards to the thought of taxpayers funding stadiums, he added.
“The league and the owners should pay the bulk of it themselves especially if they also plan to build a whole world around it to profit off of,” Focci mentioned.
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Source: www.bostonherald.com