The Chicago Bears won't become the Arlington Heights Bears

Bears announce plan to spend $2 billion on stadium in Chicago


By Elyssa Kaufman
Updated on: March 11, 2024 / 8:58 AM CDT / CBS Chicago

CHICAGO (CBS)-- The Chicago Bears are shifting their plans from building a new stadium in Arlington Heights, the team announced Monday morning.

Bears President and CEO Kevin Warren released the following statement.

"The Chicago Bears are proud to contribute over $2 billion to build a stadium and improve open spaces for all families, fans and the general public to enjoy in the City of Chicago. The future stadium of the Chicago Bears will bring a transformative opportunity to our region—boosting the economy, creating jobs, facilitating mega events and generating millions in tax revenue. We look forward to sharing more information when our plans are finalized."

Last summer the Bears' plan to build a new stadium on the site appeared to be focused on the site of the old Arlington International Racecourse, after the team had spent millions to buy the site and tore down the racetrack.

But earlier this year, the team appeared to put that plan on the back burner in favor of building their new stadium along the Chicago lakefront.

The team has had conversations with city officials about possibly building domed stadium on Soldier Field's south parking lot. While the team confirmed Monday morning it would provide $2 billion in private financing to replace Soldier Field with a new domed stadium, it was unclear whether their plan for the lakefront would require any public funding.

Questions also remain about whether the Bears' plans would face a legal challenge. The city's lakefront protection ordinance largely prohibits new construction east of DuSable Lake Shore Drive. That ordinance was the basis of a lawsuit by the nonprofit Friends of the Parks that successfully blocked a previous plan by Star Wars filmmaker George Lucas to build a museum on the same site where the Bears now want to build a new stadium. Lucas instead ended up building that museum in Los Angeles.

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From CBS News