Arlington Heights downtown area needs a distinct identity, especially if Bears come to town, merchants say

Downtown Arlington Heights business owners have formed a new nonprofit organization to build up and brand the village’s current central shopping and entertainment district, partly in anticipation of a possible Chicago Bears stadium development at Arlington International Racecourse.

The organization incorporated as a not-for-profit May 18, according to information from the Illinois secretary of state’s office.

Group members at a July 10 Village Board committee meeting said they’d formed the alliance to improve the village downtown overall and support its growth as an entertainment destination. Many downtown business owners have been discussing how to maintain and grow the central business district with village officials since the onset of the pandemic, which led to the village’s outdoor dining and entertainment program Arlington Alfresco.

But Bottle & Bottega owner Christopher Bonk also said the organization could help the downtown distinguish itself with different offerings from what would be available at the racecourse property if the Bears’ project moved forward.

“We want to build an identity so that if the Bears thing actually happens, it separates us in a way so that we’re (in) sort of a competitive sort of situation,” he said.

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

The team has proposed a $5 billion retail, residential and entertainment district alongside a domed stadium at the former racetrack. In a public comment, Bonk urged trustees to be mindful of the possible future changes coming to the site, just two miles north of downtown Arlington Heights.

The future of the project is still nebulous. The team pitched preliminary plans in September and officially bought the racecourse in February 2023 for $197.2 million.

The team has begun to demolish the iconic grandstand and other structures on the site. But the organization is still seeking property tax reductions from local and state governments, saying the project is in jeopardy without some taxpayer assistance. The club has started to field offers from other suburbs interested in hosting a potential stadium.

However, the team’s only financial commitment outside of Chicago is still in Arlington Heights. The racetrack’s prospects as a commercial and residential juggernaut is a factor in how business owners and village leaders think about the future of the village’s current retail and entertainment center.

A staff memo to trustees at the July 10 meeting stated that village leaders want to see a potential Bears development be “complementary and synergistic” to downtown Arlington Heights.

“During preliminary discussions on redevelopment of Arlington International Racecourse and the conceptual plan proposed by Chicago Bears Football Club, Inc. it is been made clear that one of the village’s goals is ‘the ability to enhance and connect the new development to downtown and not to detract from it,’” the memo states.

Real estate attorney Earnest Rose said he thought the team and the village can work together to make both areas successful.

Rose works downtown and attended the meeting as a member of the newly formed downtown alliance. Late last month, he was onstage alongside Bears team President Kevin Warren as a leader of Touchdown Arlington, a booster group that supports the team’s proposal.

“I think we heard from Kevin Warren that he views the downtown area as something worth preserving,” Rose said.

He added he was optimistic about a “win-win” if there is enough consumer demand to support both business districts.

Hey Nonny proprietor Chip Brooks had a more cautious take.

“Nobody has decided yet that there is enough of an audience to support both,” he said.

Brooks, whom the Illinois Secretary of State’s website lists as the official point of contact for the new downtown group, has been wary of the impact the team’s development could have on the existing commercial landscape.

Trustees have said they want to see a possible Bears project complement the village’s existing retail offerings, not replicate it.