Bears shifting focus back to Arlington Heights for new stadium

The Bears are once again shifting their focus for where they’d like to build their next stadium.

According to a new report from the Chicago Tribune, the franchise is once again planning to build a stadium complex in Arlington Heights after a project at the current downtown site of Soldier Field hasn’t been able to get off the ground.

“Over the last few months, we have made significant progress with the leaders in Arlington Heights, and look forward to continuing to work with state and local leaders on making a transformative economic development project for the region a reality,” the Bears said in a Friday statement, via the Chicago Tribune.

The report notes the Bears are not planning to seek state funding for the stadium project, but the club would nevertheless need “megaproject” legislation. That would allow the club to negotiate with local governments over property tax bills.

The Bears shifting their focus back to Arlington Heights had partially been signaled by team president and CEO Kevin Warren sending a letter to new Chicago Park District Superintendent Carlos Ramirez-Rosa regarding the condition of Soldier Field that asked for documents to “provide an overview of maintenance and capital spending.”

Warren has said multiple times that the team would like to get “shovels in the ground” on a new stadium in 2025. We’ll see if that now ends up happening in Arlington Heights sometime this year.