Chicago Bears officers met with Naperville Mayor Scott Wehrli on Friday to debate the potential for abandoning their plans for a model new stadium enchancment in Arlington Heights in favor of setting up it throughout the western suburb.
In a switch which will very nicely be used as bargaining leverage, the group talked about in an announcement Friday that plans to assemble “the biggest single improvement venture in Illinois historical past” are “in danger” in Arlington Heights.
The Bears objected that present tax hikes on the earlier Arlington Park racetrack, which the Bears bought this 12 months, would finish in taxes far elevated than its worth whereas it’s not operational.
“We are going to proceed the continuing demolition exercise and work towards a path ahead in Arlington Heights, however it’s now not our singular focus,” group officers wrote. “It’s our accountability to hearken to different municipalities in Chicagoland about potential areas that may ship on this transformational alternative for our followers, our membership and the state of Illinois.”
The group maintains plans to assemble an enclosed stadium with accompanying leisure and residential enchancment in Arlington Heights simply isn’t a accomplished deal. There stays wonderful questions on the group getting certainty on property tax limits and public subsidies to help assemble infrastructure for the endeavor.
These uncertainties led Wehrli to ship a letter Might 24 to Bears President and CEO Kevin Warren throughout which the mayor acknowledged the group’s dedication to creating and dealing its private stadium, which “is important for on-field success and pursuing championships.”
“I want to formally introduce our neighborhood to your group as you contemplate or reassess your deliberate relocation,” wrote the model new Naperville mayor, who was elected this spring and took office a month previously.
Wehrli suggested Warren quite a few accessible or to-be-available web sites may match the traits the group is searching for in a future dwelling.
He known as the conversations “good” and talked about “there’s extra to come back.”
The place these areas are has not been disclosed nevertheless one web page big adequate for such a enchancment is the earlier BP campus property alongside Warrenville Highway between Washington and Mill streets. Positioned alongside the Interstate 88 corridor, it might be accessible from I-88′s Naperville Highway and Winfield Highway exits.
The Bears have a lease at Soldier Discipline in Chicago by means of 2033, nevertheless may turn into worthwhile from new seat licenses, luxurious suites, naming rights, and completely different choices within the occasion that they constructed their very personal stadium. Such a endeavor would take years, nevertheless they may break the lease as early as 2026 for a worth of $84 million. The group has carried out at Soldier Discipline for larger than half a century.
Arlington Heights Mayor Tom Hayes talked about he understands that the Bears are a for-profit enterprise and have to pursue all options.
“I’d be doing the identical factor, discover all my choices and choose the perfect one,” he talked about. “I nonetheless assume Arlington Heights is the most suitable choice.”
The group is unlikely to go looking out such a chief property because the earlier Arlington Park, Hayes talked about, with 326 largely open acres subsequent to fundamental roadways and with its private commuter observe station. And the Bears already private the land.
The mayor impressed the faculty districts and the group to proceed negotiations over property taxes, with the requirement that any deal is usually a long-term monetary improve for the group and the world.
To help a doable Bears’ switch to Naperville, Wehrli talked about city’s monetary enchancment affiliate, Naperville Improvement Partnership, has a monitor file of working with firms to make funding in Naperville.
Wehrli talked about as mayor pledged to pursue accountable monetary enchancment to help city’s monetary system, and being the home of the Chicago Bears would unlock giant monetary benefits for the group.
Metropolis spokeswoman Linda LaCloche reiterated that monetary enchancment is one in all Wehrli’s main focuses. “The mayor will proceed to spotlight Naperville’s advantages to companies all through Chicagoland and throughout the nation,” LaCloche talked about.
Naperville, which has a inhabitants of spherical 150,000, is attractive for all kinds of firms, LaCloche talked about, on account of it has the second largest monetary system in Illinois, “with a extremely educated workforce, prime ranked public security, a vibrant downtown, wonderful public transit and proximity to main interstates.”
Interstate 88 extends by means of city’s northern limits, and Interstates 355 and 55 are decrease than 5 miles from city to the east and south, respectively.
Two railroad strains run by means of Naperville, the Burlington-Northern-Santa Fe Railway and the Elgin, Joliet and Japanese Railway. Metra operates commuter trains alongside the BNSF Railway and has two stations all through the metropolis, the first station on Fourth Avenue and the Route 59 station.
The metropolis moreover has some experience as a home to an skilled sports activities actions group, though on a lots smaller scale.
For the 2002 and 2003 seasons, the Main League Soccer group Chicago Fireplace carried out at North Central Faculty in Naperville whereas Soldier Discipline was being renovated.
Naperville moreover was among the many many larger than 100 communities Fireplace officers delivered proposal requests to assemble a soccer-specific stadium for use in 2007.
Naperville opted to not submit, and on the time talked about a costly soccer stadium wasn’t a priority and there wasn’t applicable land accessible alongside the I-88 corridor.
occasions weighed in on the Naperville talks.
Democratic state Rep. Mark Walker of Arlington Heights talked about Friday that he was “not likely stunned” to review that the Bears have been in dialog with Naperville officers. “They might assume it provides them a little bit leverage. … I’m undecided whether or not it does or not.”
What has surprised Walker is that the soccer membership has been so centered on the property tax value for the earlier racetrack “as a result of it’s a multibillion-dollar venture and there are all types of different issues in play right here.”
Nonetheless, the Bears being courted by one different suitor may help tempo alongside negotiations with Arlington Heights and school districts, Walker talked about.
Democratic state Rep. Marty Moylan of Des Plaines sponsored a bill to promote the Arlington web page, nevertheless the spring legislative session ended Might 27 with the bill in limbo.
Moylan talked about Bears “are attempting to leverage their product … and get the perfect deal doable. And I agree with them.”
Village of Arlington Heights staff talked about in an announcement that they’d anticipated the group to proceed evaluating completely different potential areas for a stadium enchancment “as a part of their due diligence course of.” Nevertheless, the assertion continued, the outdated racetrack has numerous elements going for it which may be laborious to duplicate.
“It’s evident that the Chicago Bears Soccer Membership understands the distinctive potential of this web page, as evidenced by
their present purchase of the property,” the assertion talked about.
Village staff talked about they’d proceed working with the membership and completely different involved occasions on a doable stadium and mixed-use district on the racecourse and would “work by means of the inevitable challenges that include any giant improvement effort.”
Chicago Tribune’s Jeremy Gorner and Dan Petrella and Pioneer Press’ Caroline Kubzansky contributed.
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