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PHOENIX — Over the course of this week, Chicago Bears owner and Chairman George McCaskey fielded a flurry of questions from folks around the NFL regarding his team’s exploration of a potential new stadium in Arlington Heights. That became a popular conversation starter with McCaskey throughout the owners meetings at the Arizona Biltmore. And as a member of the league’s stadium committee, McCaskey offered his formal update on the Bears closing on 326 acres of land at Arlington Park last month.
But as far as a new and noteworthy progress report on how things have advanced since that purchase became final Feb. 15?
“There is still a lot of work and analysis that needs to be done before we make a decision about whether we’re going to develop the property,” McCaskey said Tuesday evening at the conclusion of the league meetings. “And if we develop the property, (we’ll determine) whether the development is going to include a stadium.”
McCaskey stayed firm with his assertion that the Bears are still in a comprehensive information-gathering phase. “That needs to be thorough,” he said. “It needs to be thoughtful. I don’t have a timeline.”
McCaskey also didn’t close the door on at least restarting discussions with the city of Chicago after Lori Lightfoot leaves office as mayor in mid-May. A runoff to decide Lightfoot’s successor will occur next week between Cook County commissioner Brandon Johnson and former Chicago Public Schools CEO Paul Vallas. And if the city, under new leadership, still shows a passionate push to keep the Bears playing at S Field or has specific proposals to extend, the team might be showing some willingness to listen.
Said McCaskey: “We want to give whoever the next mayor of Chicago is time to get his feet under him. We understand there are a lot more pressing issues in the city than the Bears. But at the appropriate time, we’d like to have those discussions.”
That still feels like an extreme long shot given the enthusiasm the team has shown for the potential of what could be done on the huge plot of land in northwest suburban Arlington Heights. Since signing a $197.2 million purchase agreement in fall 2021, the Bears have eyed the massive acreage that used to be home to Arlington International Racecourse as a potential venue for a new stadium as well as an accompanying entertainment district and mixed-use development.
New Bears President and CEO Kevin Warren reemphasized Monday that the team’s stadium focus “remains in Arlington Park.” “It has to be,” he said. “We purchased the land. And that’s one of things I’m looking forward to, to go to work on that.”
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While under contract on the property in Arlington Heights, the Bears refused to say anything about any efforts Chicago was making to change their mind on leaving Soldier Field. McCaskey, though, might have opened the door a crack Tuesday.
NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell also weighed in on the Bears’ current stadium dilemma as the league meetings concluded. Goodell had no reservations about the team considering a move out of Chicago.
“Those are things the Bears have to explore,” he said. “How do they continue to see the long-term reputation of their game? And the stadium is a big part of that. They’re not the first team to look at areas outside the city that they play in. That’s something that’s a natural thing for our clubs to do. They obviously recognize the lease restrictions they’re under (at Soldier Field). Investigating and exploring that is something they owe to the fans and their community.”
As it pertains to the potential project in Arlington Heights, the Bears have been consistent in emphasizing they want to gain greater long-term clarity on tax issues associated with the new land they own and have pushed for legislation that would offer a lengthy tax freeze on the property.
Still, there also has been little clarity on what options the organization would consider toward funding a massive project that could include a large entertainment district as well as business and residential buildings adjacent to a potential new stadium, which by itself could cost approximately $2 million on the low end.
McCaskey emphasized that Warren will be a valuable leader and information resource on the stadium project in the months and years ahead as he gets his feet on the ground in his new role. Warren has an official full-time start date of April 17.
As the chief operating officer of the Minnesota Vikings, Warren was a key figure in the process of helping that franchise build U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, a venue that opened in summer 2016.
“This is where Kevin’s experience is going to be helpful,” McCaskey said. “Because he knows there are ebbs and flows, ups and downs. It’s much like a football game. The pace and the momentum can go back and forth many times. So you just have to keep a long view and just like in a football game, not get too rattled by the setbacks and not get too over your skis about any victories that may come.”
Sticking with that analogy, what might the next play be for the Bears?
“Really in the timeline (of where we’re at), we haven’t really kicked off the ball yet,” McCaskey said.
Vikings owner Mark Wilf, who chairs the NFL’s stadium committee and is a big supporter of Warren’s leadership skill and style, told the Tribune on Tuesday that he is interested to see how the Bears’ process evolves.
“I’m excited about Chicago potentially going down that road,” Wilf said. “And I certainly want to be helpful to our partners at the Bears to help them get that taken care of however they desire. … As we saw in Minnesota, there will be many twists and turns. Every situation and every community is unique, and it’s going to have to suit the stakeholders in the community.”
For now, though, the Bears stadium efforts remain in a bit of a holding pattern.
Last month’s closing, McCaskey said, was “just one of many steps along the way.”
“I’ve been using the analogy of people who buy a lot and decide to build a house,” he said. “There are things that have to be accomplished in the closing process for a residential lot. That’s a much shorter time frame. And there aren’t as many things to look into. But then once you buy the lot, you’ve got to look at OK, if we’re going to put a building on here, where are we going to situate it? What’s the style going to be? What features is it going to have? How are we going to pay for it?”
For the Bears, the research toward all such questions remains ongoing.
“There are so many things I learned (in Minnesota),” Warren said. “But one of the main things is you need to remain calm (and understand) that this is a journey. This is not something that you get done in a weekend. And you have to be patient. You have to be creative. You have to create solutions where there’s a win-win-win for everyone involved.”
