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It has been written on the wall for almost a year: Bear Yes ready to leave soldier fieldAlthough the team won’t exit the lease on the historic downtown stadium until 2026, last September it finalized a purchase agreement for the 326-acre Arlington International Racecourse, designating the suburban site for redevelopment. Now, the Bears have teased what awaits in Arlington Heights, Revealed on Tuesday Plans are for a new enclosed stadium, as well as an unprecedented multi-purpose entertainment area.
The Bears have yet to complete the acquisition of the Arlington Heights property, currently owned by Churchill Downs Inc., but wrote in a public presentation Tuesday that plans are already underway for “one of the largest developments in Illinois history.” “While Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot has previously proposed renovating Soldier Field to keep the Bears at their current home, the team also reiterated that it “will not discuss or explore any other alternative stadium locations or opportunities” during the contract purchase Dayton Park.
Make no mistake, this is not just a stadium project. Any development at Arlington Park would be proposed to include a mixed-use entertainment, commercial/retail and residential complex that would provide substantial economic benefits to Cook County, the surrounding area and the state of Illinois. The long-term project vision for the entire property is a work in progress, but may include: restaurants, office space, a hotel, fitness center, new parks and open spaces, and other improvements to be enjoyed by the community.
The team announced that the Bears remain committed to their lease at Soldier Field, which was last renovated in 2002. But its big-picture focus is clearly on their next home.
“While the prospect of a transit-oriented mixed-use and entertainment district based on a new closed stadium is exciting for the Bears and the state as a whole,” the team wrote, “there are still A lot of work to do” property, and then, will we develop it. We look forward to working with key partners and stakeholders in the Chicago community and Illinois in the coming months. “
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