Chicago Bears officials met with Naperville Mayor Scott Wehrli on Friday to discuss the possibility of abandoning their plans for a new stadium development in Arlington Heights in favor of building it in the large western suburb.
In a move that could be used as bargaining leverage, the team said in a statement Friday that plans to build “the largest single development project in Illinois history” are “at risk” in Arlington Heights.
The Bears objected that recent tax hikes on the former Arlington Park racetrack, which the Bears bought this year and have begun demolishing, would result in taxes far higher than the property’s worth while it is not operational.
“We will continue the ongoing demolition activity and work toward a path forward in Arlington Heights, but it is no longer our singular focus,” team officials wrote. “It is our responsibility to listen to other municipalities in Chicagoland about potential locations that can deliver on this transformational opportunity for our fans, our club and the state of Illinois.”
The organization maintains its plan to build an enclosed stadium with an accompanying entertainment and residential development in Arlington Heights is not a done deal. Outstanding questions remain on the team getting certainty on property tax limits and public subsidies to help build infrastructure for the project.
Those uncertainties led Wehrli to send a letter May 24 to Bears President and CEO Kevin Warren in which the mayor acknowledged the team’s commitment to developing and operating its own stadium, which “is essential for on-field success and pursuing championships.”
“I would like to formally introduce our community to your organization as you consider or reassess your planned relocation,” wrote the new Naperville mayor, who was elected this spring and took office a month ago.
Wehrli told Warren several available or to-be-available sites may fit the characteristics the organization is looking for in a future home.
Wehrli on Friday called the conversations “good” and said “there’s more to come.”
Where those locations are has not been disclosed but one site large enough for such a development is the former BP campus property along Warrenville Road between Washington and Mill streets. Located along the Interstate 88 corridor, it would be accessible from I-88′s Naperville Road and Winfield Road exits.
The Bears have a lease at Soldier Field in Chicago through 2033, but could make money from new seat licenses, luxury suites, naming rights and other amenities if they built their own stadium. Such a project would take years, but they could break the Soldier Field lease as early as 2026 for a fee of $84 million.
The team has played at Soldier Field for more than half a century. The historic lakefront stadium has the smallest seating capacity in the NFL.
Arlington Heights Mayor Tom Hayes said he understands that the Bears are a for-profit business and have to pursue all opportunities.
“I would be doing the same thing, explore all my options and pick the best one,” he said. “I still think Arlington Heights is the best option.”
The team is unlikely to find such a prime property as the former Arlington Park, Hayes said, with 326 mostly open acres next to major roadways and with its own commuter train station. And the Bears already own the land.
The mayor encouraged local school districts and the team to continue negotiations over property taxes, with the requirement that any deal would be a long-term economic boost for the team and the region.
To help a potential Bears’ move to Naperville, Wehrli said the city’s economic development partner, Naperville Development Partnership, has a track record of working with businesses to make investment in Naperville.
Wehrli said as mayor he is pledged to pursue responsible economic development to support the city’s economy, and being the home of the Chicago Bears would unlock tremendous economic benefits for the community.
City spokeswoman Linda LaCloche reiterated that economic development is one of Wehrli’s primary focuses. “The mayor will continue to highlight Naperville’s benefits to businesses throughout Chicagoland and across the country,” LaCloche said.
Naperville, which has a population of around 150,000, is attractive for all types of businesses, LaCloche said, because it has the second largest economy in Illinois, “with a highly educated workforce, top ranked public safety, a vibrant downtown, excellent public transit and proximity to major interstates.”
Interstate 88 extends through the city’s northern limits, and Interstates 355 and 55 are less than 5 miles from the city to the east and south, respectively.
Two railroad lines run through Naperville, the Burlington Northern-Santa Fe Railway and the Elgin, Joliet and Eastern Railway. Metra operates commuter trains along the BNSF Railway and has two stations within the city, the main station on Fourth Avenue and the Route 59 station.
The city also has some experience as a home to a professional sports team, though on a much smaller scale.
For the 2002 and 2003 seasons, the Major League Soccer team Chicago Fire played at North Central College in Naperville while Soldier Field was being renovated.
Naperville also was among the more than 100 communities from which Chicago Fire officials sought proposals for a soccer-specific stadium for use in 2007.
Naperville opted not to submit a proposal, and at the time said a costly soccer stadium wasn’t a priority and there wasn’t suitable land available along the I-88 corridor.
Interested parties weighed in on the Naperville talks.
Democratic state Rep. Mark Walker of Arlington Heights said Friday that he was “not really surprised” to learn that the Bears were in conversation with Naperville officials. “They may think it gives them a little leverage. … I’m not sure whether it does or not.”
What has surprised Walker is that the football team has been so focused on the property tax payment for the former racetrack “because it’s a multibillion-dollar project and there are all kinds of other things in play here.”
Still, the Bears being courted by another suitor could help speed along negotiations with Arlington Heights and school districts, Walker said.
Democratic state Rep. Marty Moylan of Des Plaines sponsored a bill to promote the Arlington site, but the spring legislative session ended May 27 with the bill in limbo.
Moylan said the Bears “are trying to leverage their product … and get the best deal possible. And I agree with them.”
In Arlington Heights, a group formed to support the Bears’ development at the racetrack deemed the news that the Bears were looking at other sites “incredibly concerning” and said “political foot-dragging” was to blame for the team’s wandering gaze.
“Our local elected officials, from legislators to school board members, must prioritize this development that will boost the region’s economic engine and create thousands of jobs,” Touchdown Arlington said in a statement.
Village of Arlington Heights staff said in a statement that they would “work through the inevitable challenges that come with any large development effort.”
The Bears are in negotiations over the tax value of the property that included the former grounds of Arlington International Racecourse. The Bears had been pushing to have the site assessed at $37 million. But leaders of three local school districts that receive taxes from the site say it should be valued at $95 million.
Cook County Commissioner Samantha Steele said she thinks the $95 million evaluation for the 2022 tax year is appropriate and that evaluations for future years are still nebulous. In fact, she added, the fact that the Bears are demolishing on the site shows that the value is in the land that they paid for.
“In Cook County, we’re all about market value,” Steele said. “When they create the market, they create the market.”
A spokesman for the Cook County assessor’s office said “the facts speak for themselves” regarding the recent assessed value of the property.
“Our office’s mission is to assess property based on market value,” he said in an email to the Tribune. “The 2022 assessment of the former Arlington Racecourse site is consistent with both the 2023 purchase price of the property and the price per square foot of other similarly sized land in the area.”
Naperville is located in DuPage and Will counties with the potential I-88 site in DuPage.
When news of the Naperville talks broke, state Rep. Dave Vella, a Democrat from Rockford, 90 miles northwest of Chicago, jumped on the bandwagon and told the Tribune he’d like his city to have a chance at bringing the Bears there.
“Rockford is right on I-90,” Vella said. “We have the fastest-run cargo airport. We have passenger rail coming soon. We have tons of space. I think it’s the perfect location for the Bears. … I’m interested in letting us put a pitch in too.”
Suzanne Baker is a reporter for the Naperville Sun. Caroline Kubzansky is a reporter for Pioneer Press. Chicago Tribune’s Jeremy Gorner and Dan Petrella contributed.
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