The Chicago Bears proceed to take a look at quite a lot of websites in and round Chicago — together with the location of Soldier Field — as potential houses for a brand new stadium, officers stated Wednesday.
The Bears are doing due diligence on the viability of the south parking zone at Soldier Field as the placement for his or her subsequent stadium, in keeping with unnamed sources cited by The Parkins & Spiegel Show on WSCR-AM 670 The Score.
The Bears have proposed constructing a $5 billion enclosed stadium and leisure and housing advanced on the location of the closed Arlington International Racecourse in Arlington Heights. The mission has stalled whereas the workforce tries to barter favorable property taxes for the location.
The Bears reportedly are utilizing the identical surveying agency, Compass Surveying Ltd. in Aurora, that they used for Arlington Heights and different potential areas.
In response, the Bears wouldn’t affirm the report, however issued the next temporary assertion:
“As we stated in September earlier this year, we want to appropriately explore all opportunities across Chicagoland for the development of a world-class stadium.”
In September, Bears President and CEO Kevin Warren acknowledged that the workforce was persevering with a “methodical” course of to search out the very best stadium resolution.
“Thanks to the leadership of Mayor Brandon Johnson and his team, we have recently engaged in positive and productive discussions with the city of Chicago,” Warren stated. “We also continue to have dialogue with officials in Arlington Heights and other Chicagoland locations about a Chicago Bears stadium project.”
While persevering with such discussions this fall, the workforce didn’t pursue earlier state legislative proposals for tax breaks to construct a stadium — however a brand new legislative session begins within the new yr.
The Bears have met with officers in Naperville. Aurora, Waukegan and Richton Park additionally expressed curiosity in internet hosting the workforce.
The parking space south of Soldier Field features a storage and a ground-level lot. The space is social gathering central for tailgating followers.
The space as soon as was really helpful by a mayoral process pressure as the location of the proposed Lucas Museum.
But “Star Wars” creator George Lucas, who deliberate to deal with his important artwork and film memorabilia assortment there, dropped his plan in 2016 after the nonprofit group Friends of the Parks filed a lawsuit searching for to dam the proposal. Any plans for a brand new stadium there would possibly face related objections.
The Bears have additionally resumed communications with college officers relating to the Arlington Heights web site, Arlington Heights Mayor Tom Hayes informed the Tribune. That comes after the 2 sides had reached an deadlock over property taxes and damaged off negotiations for months.
Palatine Community Consolidated School District 15, Arlington Heights-based Township High School District 214 and Palatine-based Township High School District 211 have sought hundreds of thousands of {dollars} extra in property taxes from the location.
To decrease these taxes, the workforce this summer season demolished the previous Arlington Park and associated buildings.
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Source: www.bostonherald.com