Mayor Brandon Johnson met with the Chicago Bears’ president and CEO Wednesday about their “shared … commitment to Chicago” because the NFL franchise floats curiosity in doubtlessly transferring to a suburb aside from Arlington Heights.
News of the assembly was introduced Wednesday, hours after Johnson once more said he wished to maintain the Bears in Chicago. Johnson spoke at an unrelated information convention when requested concerning the Bears flirting with a transfer to Naperville because the franchise’s push for state monetary help and property tax breaks has stalled.
Johnson and Bears President and CEO Kevin Warren launched a joint assertion late Wednesday afternoon: “Today we met and discussed our shared values and commitment to the City of Chicago, the importance of deep roots and the need for equitable community investment throughout the city. We are both committed to the idea that the city and its major civic institutions must grow and evolve together to meet the needs of the future. We look forward to continuing the dialogue around these shared values.”
Neither the joint assertion nor Johnson’s earlier feedback provided specifics about what it might take to persuade the group to stay in Chicago, however the mayor stated it’s vital to “have conversations.”
“I grew up with the ‘Super Bowl Shuffle.’ As I would say, as older people would say to young people, when I was young, ’85 Bears, Super Bowl shuffle, y’all don’t know nothing about that,” stated Johnson, who was raised in suburban Elgin. “We want to make sure we can keep shuffling here in the city of Chicago with the Bears.”
“I want to make sure the ownership of the Chicago Bears, the Park District and the residents of the city of Chicago have a real seat at the table to discuss a pathway forward,” Johnson stated, declaring himself “the hardest-working person in the city of Chicago” and promising to strategy the discussions with “care, sensitivity and thoughtfulness.”
Keeping the Bears in Chicago or Soldier Field would require greater than care, sensitivity or thoughtfulness because the group pursues a contemporary stadium that may compete with different websites throughout the nation for nationwide occasions just like the Super Bowl or NCAA contests.
Bears officers met with Naperville Mayor Scott Wehrli on Friday to debate the opportunity of abandoning their plans for a brand new stadium improvement in Arlington Heights in favor of constructing it within the massive western suburb, a transfer that could possibly be used as bargaining leverage.
The Bears objected that current tax hikes on the previous Arlington Park racetrack, which the Bears purchased this 12 months and have begun demolishing, would lead to taxes far increased than the property’s value whereas it’s not operational.
The group has additionally pursued monetary incentives for infrastructure on the challenge which have struggled to search out help within the state legislature.
But the group is keen to depart Soldier Field, the smallest and one of many least fashionable stadiums within the NFL.
Dealing with the Bears’ threatened departure is a political problem. While few individuals help public funding for a brand new stadium — notably as metropolis taxpayers stay on the hook for pricey renovations to Soldier Field designed to maintain the group in 2004 — dropping the NFL franchise could possibly be a blow to the town’s picture.
Johnson’s predecessor, Lori Lightfoot, tried to go off criticism by floating plans to put in a dome over Soldier Field, a pricey concept that the Bears haven’t expressed curiosity in. It’s unclear what steps Johnson is prepared to take to maintain the group within the metropolis limits.
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Source: www.bostonherald.com