As the Chicago Bears get ready for Monday Night Football, fans have heard talk about Arlington Heights since 2021. Here are the three biggest questions surrounding the move.
As the Chicago Bears gear up for Monday Night Football Sept. 8, fans wonder: when will the team leave Soldier Field and move to Arlington Heights?
Here are three big questions at play.
Are they moving to Arlington Heights?
Bears President and CEO Kevin Warren said Arlington Heights is the team’s sole focus. He told reporters Arlington Heights is “the only location in Cook County” able to support a fixed-roof stadium. But the team will only move forward if state lawmakers allow the team and surrounding businesses to freeze their property taxes.
Warren has said if the state passes a “mega project bill,” the new stadium would create 56,000 construction jobs and 9,100 permanent jobs. Gov. J.B. Pritzker has ruled out the state cutting a check to help pay for the new stadium, but he’s considering the property tax freeze.
When would they move?
If the Illinois General Assembly passes a bill, construction could start this year but likely wouldn’t end until 2028 at the earliest. Warren previously worked for the Minnesota Vikings when their stadium construction took 30 months.
State lawmakers return to Springfield in October, but only for six total days of legislative session. That leaves little time for the Bears to get enough consensus from lawmakers to pass their bill. It might also be tough to get state lawmakers representing Chicago on board with a bill, assuming they want the team to stay in the city.
What about Soldier Field?
In 2002, Soldier Field started a major renovation for which taxpayers still owe about $525 million. That means families are footing the bill for years, even as talk of a new stadium picks up. The Bears’ lease runs through 2033, so they would pay a penalty for breaking it.
Warren and Bears Chairman George McCaskey argue the new stadium would be a net gain for Cook County and the state because it could attract events such as a Super Bowl or a Final Four.
If lawmakers don’t pass a bill in October, the issue would get pushed to at least January 2026, when lawmakers reconvene.
