Bears Going Public with Plan

Informational meeting on new stadium in Arlington Heights will reveal plans for the structure and surrounding area.

The actual plans the Chicago Bears are considering for their Arlington Heights stadium will be revealed during a meeting Thursday, Sept. 8 at Hersey High School in Arlington Heights.

An "informal" community meeting to discuss the purchase of the Arlington International Racecourse property by the Bears and development of the property into a stadium will be held from 7 to 9 p.m. at the school's gymnasium.

The Bears are closing in on a $197 million purchase after making the winning bid for the 326-acre piece of property. Team CEO Ted Phillips said earlier in the year that the closing could come in early 2023.

This meeting is not one of the public meetings required before a sale of this type for the Village of Arlington Heights. Instead, it's only for information.

Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot made her Hail Mary attempt to keep the Bears from moving by putting out potential plans for a dome over Soldier Field. There was another version of the plan without a dome.

However, the Bears showed no interest and in fact released statements saying they are currently planning to fulfill terms of their lease and the only plans they are interested in are the ones for Arlington Heights.

The Bears do have a lease at Soldier Field, where they pay over $6 million a year in rent. However, the lease ends after the 2033 season and can be broken at a cost of $84 million as soon as 2027.

Building a new stadium would take several years so the timing of this situation works out for a move.

Seats are first-come, first-serve for the meeting and parking lots open at 5 p.m. with doors opening at 5:30 p.m.

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