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Chicago Bears

What to know about the Chicago Bears’ possible move from Soldier Field — and which other suburbs are vying for the stadium

Chicago Tribune
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Crews demolish the grandstand and surrounding structures at the former Arlington International Racec

Crews demolish the grandstand and surrounding structures at the former Arlington International Racecourse on Sept. 25, 2023, in Arlington Heights. (Stacey Wescott/Chicago Tribune)

The Chicago Bears embarked on a new era in February 2023 with the purchase of a site in Arlington Heights where the team hopes to build a new enclosed stadium with a massive entertainment and residential development.

But the team has hit a financial roadblock in their proposed move to Arlington Heights, and now other municipalities have been vying in a sort of roulette to attract — or in Chicago’s case, keep — the team.

Naperville, Rockford, Chicago and, most recently, Waukegan and Aurora have placed themselves in the running to land the white whale of the NFL — though some officials concede the team may be using them for leverage in negotiations with Arlington Heights.

Here’s what to know about the possible move from Soldier Field.

What’s new — and where do things stand?

Bears President Kevin Warren in his office with a photo of team founder George Halas on June 29, 2023, at Halas Hall.

Bears President Kevin Warren in his office with a photo of team founder George Halas on June 29, 2023, at Halas Hall. (Brian Cassella)

The Bears continue to check out a variety of sites in and around Chicago — including the site of Soldier Field — as potential homes for a new stadium, officials said on Dec. 6.

The Bears are doing due diligence on the viability of the south parking lot at Soldier Field as the location for their next stadium, according to unnamed sources cited by The Parkins & Spiegel Show on WSCR-AM 670 The Score.

The parking area south of Soldier Field includes a garage and a ground-level lot. The area is party central for tailgating fans. The area once was recommended by a mayoral task force as the site of the proposed Lucas Museum.

President and CEO Kevin Warren sent a letter to season ticket holders before the 2023 season opener, saying he is “working diligently to deliver on a new, multipurpose indoor stadium complex that will provide a best-in-class gameday experience.”

Warren said he has reengaged with Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson, and praised the “vision” the mayor’s team has offered regarding the team staying in the city. Still, the team remains engaged with officials in Arlington Heights and other suburbs.

“We are encouraged by the progress so far,” Warren wrote, “and we look forward to narrowing and defining our location in the near future.” Read more here.

Breaking down the growing list of stadium options

Demolition of Arlington International Racecourse continues as a possible site for a new stadium as the Bears decide on a stadium for the future. (Chicago Tribune)

Naperville

The Bears have quickly had two meetings with city officials, after Naperville Mayor Scott Wehrli wrote to invite the team to talk. The mayor said he’s had very preliminary discussions with Bears President and CEO Kevin Warren.

Wehrli has said he wants to develop underused properties along the Interstate 88 tollway, where the former BP Amoco site would be more than big enough at 187 acres.

Waukegan

Waukegan Mayor Ann Taylor wrote a letter Monday to Warren, proposing that the Bears build a new stadium on lakefront property.

Several locations Taylor cited have the space for a stadium and entertainment area with access to Interstate 94, U.S. Route 41 and public transportation. The Bears already train in Lake Forest, 9 miles south of Waukegan.

Aurora

Mayor Richard Irvin has invited the Bears to consider relocating to the suburb.

In a letter from Irvin to the Bears, he touts Aurora’s history, location and track record of getting developments done. The letter comes on the heels of President/CEO Kevin Warren saying recently that the Bears are “in a position to start exploring other places and opportunities and no longer considers Arlington Heights as a singular focus.”

Rockford

State Rep. Dave Vella, a Democrat from Rockford, told the Tribune he’d like his city to have a chance at bringing the Bears there.

While acknowledging that Rockford is 90 miles from Chicago, he touted Rockford’s transportation development and how that could be used at Bears fans’ convenience.

Richton Park

In a letter to Bears President and CEO Kevin Warren, Richton Park Mayor Rick Reinbold touted large expanses of available land and the south suburb’s proximity to highways and the Metra Electric Line.

“I understand how the complexity of completing a stadium deal at the former Arlington Park site can be frustrating,” Reinbold told Warren in the July 21 letter. “Allow me to interest you in greenfield opportunities awaiting the Bears in Richton Park!”

Country Club Hills

Cook County Commissioner Monica Gordon is encouraging the football team to consider Country Club Hills, throwing what her office described as a “Hail Mary pass” to encourage the team to consider the south suburb.

Gordon said in a news release she and Country Club Hills Mayor James Ford “are imploring the team to look at the south suburbs as an opportunity to have a positive economic impact on a part of the Chicagoland area that is ignored all too often.” “We’re taking our shot in the dark here,” Ford said.

Arlington Heights

The main difference between Arlington Heights and the other sites, of course, is that the Bears own property there — and demolition has begun. The site is big enough for a stadium and a huge proposed housing and entertainment complex. It has a Metra train station and is next to Route 53, not far from the I-90 tollway.

Chicago

Mayor Brandon Johnson said he wanted to keep the team in the city and met with Warren about what they called their shared commitment to the city.

Johnson didn’t offer any specifics, but the mayor said it’s important to have conversations to keep the Bears “shuffling” in Chicago, a reference to the team’s only Super Bowl win, in 1986.

What would happen to Soldier Field without the Bears?

The divorce is far from a foregone conclusion — the Bears have simply taken the next step, one they’ve been telegraphing for over a year.

If the team leaves Soldier Field, Friends of the Parks Executive Director Juanita Irizarry said she hopes the stadium can host many more concerts each year, easing the increasingly controversial burden on neighborhood parks for big musical events such as Riot Fest in Douglass Park and the recently announced Re:SET festival in Riis Park. Read more here.

Latest news from Arlington Heights

Catch up on the latest Bears-related headlines out of Arlington Heights.

What are the Bears saying?

Tanesha Wade and George McCaskey listen in as Bears president and CEO Ted Phillips (center) speaks to the crowd during an informational public meeting at Hersey High School in Arlington Heights on Sept. 8, 2022.

Tanesha Wade and George McCaskey listen in as Bears president and CEO Ted Phillips (center) speaks to the crowd during an informational public meeting at Hersey High School in Arlington Heights on Sept. 8, 2022. (Chris Sweda / Chicago Tribune)

Bears Chairman George McCaskey and president/CEO Ted Phillips sat down with the Tribune in 2022. Here are some of their answers on how the Arlington project will be handled as Phillips prepares to depart, how Phillips reflects on his tenure and much more. Read it here.

What’s the history of the team in Chicago?

While the Bears have called Soldier Field home since 1971, the team has discussed or proposed playing its games elsewhere throughout much of the last 50 years.

Wrigley Field served as the original home venue for the team when it moved to Chicago in 1921 and remained there through 1970. The team won nearly 70% of its home games during that span.

But the Bears were forced to find a new home after the American Football League merged with the National Football League and required stadiums to seat at least 50,000 fans. The team played its last game at Wrigley Field on Dec. 13, 1970, beating the Packers 35-17. Read more here.

Why Arlington Heights?

The Arlington International Racecourse on Oct. 6, 2021. The Chicago Bears have a deal in place to buy the shuttered racetrack.

The Arlington International Racecourse on Oct. 6, 2021. The Chicago Bears have a deal in place to buy the shuttered racetrack. (Erin Hooley / Chicago Tribune)

If the Bears dare to dream big about a new stadium in Arlington Heights, they can find inspiration in SoFi Stadium, the new star attraction of the NFL.

The league’s largest and most expensive arena and the site of the Super Bowl, SoFi, just outside Los Angeles, is overwhelming fans with its sweeping curves and epic scale. The stadium and its development highlight certain parallels to the Bears’ proposal to buy and redevelop Arlington International Racecourse. Both reflect desires to leave century-old stadiums and home cities for vast sites that allow for planned enclaves of surrounding restaurants, hotels, offices, stores and homes. Read more here.

What are fans saying?

Fans settle into their seats prior to the start of a game between the Bears and Lions at Soldier Field on Oct. 3, 2021.

Fans settle into their seats prior to the start of a game between the Bears and Lions at Soldier Field on Oct. 3, 2021. (Chris Sweda / Chicago Tribune)

Some fans expressed a draft day-like optimism that better days are ahead. They dreamed openly of shorter concessions, easier parking, better tailgating opportunities and a domed stadium that protected them from biting winter winds.

“I’ve been to multiple stadiums in the NFL and Soldier Field does not compete with any of them,” Bears season ticket holder Neal Shah of Wheaton said. “On game days, the television crews show an aerial view of the stadium, which is beautiful, but the logistics are terrible.” Read more here.

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