The web site of the proposed new Chicago Bears stadium is in Arlington Heights, but it surely’s proper throughout the road from Palatine and Rolling Meadows, the place officers welcome the proposal however are apprehensive concerning the hassle and expense it may carry.
The Bears lately purchased Arlington International Racecourse for $197 million. They suggest constructing an enclosed stadium as a part of a $5 billion growth with residences, condominiums, bars, eating places and different companies.
The huge 326-acre web site is surrounded by residential neighborhoods and companies, the place the primary concern is site visitors. If the stadium holds 70,000 followers or extra, as is frequent within the National Football League, Palatine Village Manager Reid Ottesen mentioned that it may trigger “gridlock” in his city.
Many of these followers possible could be coming in on Illinois Route 53, which runs by way of Rolling Meadows, and the four-lane Northwest Highway (U.S. Route 14), which runs from Chicago to Wisconsin, and thru the guts of Palatine. Bears’ plans present the primary entrance to the stadium coming from proposed new exits off Route 53 at Northwest Highway.
The street is lined with fast-food companies, a publish workplace and different companies, with a residential neighborhood proper behind them. Other close by predominant streets are more likely to grow to be jammed as nicely, with folks making an attempt to chop by way of neighborhoods to get across the site visitors.
That possible means roads must be widened with new intersections, together with new stormwater and sewer programs and different infrastructure, which can price round $1 billion, Ottesen mentioned.
Since the Bears are asking for property tax breaks and public subsidies for infrastructure, it’s not clear who can pay for that, with issues that Route 53 may grow to be a toll street, which Palatine residents don’t wish to pay day by day. Officials are additionally involved that property homeowners would get damage by dropping a part of their properties to new infrastructure.
“There could be positives for the community with the Bears coming, but we’re getting a lot of questions from residents,” Ottesen mentioned. “Our overarching issue is traffic. We have to know it’s not going to bring us gridlock.”
Rolling Meadows officers are “cautiously optimistic” concerning the Bears coming, with alternatives for industrial growth, City Manager Rob Sabo mentioned, however are involved concerning the prices.
Additional site visitors and accidents as a result of growth would require additional police and fireplace personnel, gear and emergency calls, he mentioned. People making an attempt to keep away from driving will need additional bus service from Pace, and the Metra prepare station possible will must be expanded. Salt Creek runs from the park web site by way of residential and park lands in Rolling Meadows, and has flooded previously, so stormwater retention must be addressed.
The Bears initially paid Arlington Heights $100,000 to pay for site visitors research and different prices. Rolling Meadows expects to have unbiased assessment of such impacts, and to be reimbursed for added bills incurred due to the event, Sabo mentioned.
The Bears have estimated that their multiyear megaproject would create hundreds of jobs and generate greater than $1 billion in annual financial influence.
Palatine Village Mayor Jim Schwantz, a former Bears participant, and Rolling Meadows officers have met with Bears and Arlington Heights officers to precise their issues.
While Bears video games on Sunday could also be crowded, the higher concern is for night time video games and different occasions like concert events and NCAA playoffs that would conflict with rush hour.
A 2010 live performance at Arlington International Racecourse by American Idol winner Lee DeWyze triggered massive site visitors issues. Neighboring Rolling Meadows closed roads for that occasion.
“We have far more questions than answers we need to address before we put our full support behind it,” Ottesen mentioned.
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Source: www.bostonherald.com