Arlington Heights village officials strongly denied allegations they are pocketing payoffs as part of plans to potentially bring the Chicago Bears to the northwest suburb.
Speaking during the public comment portion of the Village Board meeting Monday night, Arlington Heights resident Debbie Fisher accused the mayor and trustees of not only taking payoffs from the football team but also not being transparent with the public on plans for redevelopment of the Arlington International Racecourse site the team purchased last month.
“This was your idea Mayor Hayes, not ours,” Fisher said, stating that Mayor Tom Hayes sent a letter to Bears officials shortly after the racecourse closed for good last summer, attempting to woo the team to Arlington Heights. “Another case of profit over people and this time, close to home. There is way more going on here than you’re willing to tell the general public.”
The Chicago Bears finalized the $197.2 million purchase of the former racecourse last month. Last fall, the team publicly shared plans for a multi-billion dollar redevelopment that would include a domed stadium, residences and an entertainment district on the 326-acre parcel located in the northwestern portion of the village.
Details of how the redevelopment will be funded have yet to be finalized.
“Why wasn’t this proposal on the ballot last fall?” Fisher questioned. “This decision should be put to a vote by Arlington Heights. We shouldn’t have to pay a single dime for this stadium. My family cannot afford another financial burden. The Chicago Bears can afford the world and they’re paying you off with it.”
Fisher made reference to SoFi stadium built in the Los Angeles suburb of Inglewood, California, which cost $5 billion and was privately funded. She said Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker won’t provide any state money for the Bears stadium.
After Fisher sternly made her comments, reading from sheets of paper she had with her at the podium, then sharply turned and walked away, another resident approached and questioned the board and the proposed redevelopment.
Mayor Tom Hayes, visibly upset by the comments, said he would respond as calmly as he could.
“I can assure Ms. Fisher, and everyone, that nobody is being paid off as a result of this proposal. I can assure you that is 100% of the case,” Hayes said. “That does not happen in Arlington Heights and will not happen for this or any other proposal.
“For you to accuse me or anyone else on this board is offensive,” Hayes continued. “Let me just say, this was not my idea. If I had my druthers, the racetrack would still be here for another 100 years. That was my preference.
The mayor explained that Arlington Heights did not own the racecourse property, stating that it belonged to Churchill Downs – which put it up for sale and made the purchase deal with the Chicago Bears.
He said the village was not part of the process, but he acknowledged that he had sent a letter to the NFL team stating the village would be willing to explore the option of a move from the longtime Chicago lakefront Soldier Field home to Arlington Heights.
“We’re only going to do it if it’s a win-win, if citizens of this community receive a net financial benefit as result of this redevelopment; that will be the case moving forward,” Hayes said of plans for the Bears to move into town.
“We have not committed one dime of your money so far and we will not do so without input from you [Ms. Fisher] or other residents from this community. You will have an opportunity to weigh in before any of your money is spent on this proposal.”
Trustee Jim Tinaglia spoke after the mayor and called it “comical to think about” the board being on the take in this Bears situation.
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“How is it possible that any one of us is getting anything out of this deal? We have one job, that is to protect every single one of the 75,000 residents in this community, whether it’s plowing snow or delivering water to your home, or in this case, how to redevelop a defunct piece of property.
“We have nothing to do with it,” Tinaglia said, telling Fisher not to shake her head. “We are not in control of that property. We did not own the property, we did not buy the property, we are no way in a position to make money off this property, except if something gets built there and tax bills go up, every resident in this community will receive the benefit. There’s nothing going into anyone’s pockets.”
Trustee John Scaletta explained that the board has met three times on the possible Bears stadium, and all three times those discussions were public, and nothing has been done behind closed doors. He said there is a lot of work to be done by the team to determine financing, how to build the stadium and the redevelopment which will take a long time.
“Insinuating this process is further along is wrong,” said Scaletta, who is not seeking another term on the board in the April 4 election. “You’ve seen everything. We don’t need people out there creating hysteria. … The rest of [Fisher’s comments] are all accusatory that somehow, we are not of honor and we are.”
Another resident asked about Arlington Heights police officers attending other NFL venues for training purposes to determine how other stadiums manage public safety. Village Manager Randy Recklaus said that asset forfeiture dollars from drug seizures are being used to pay for that training, not tax dollars. Any other costs the village incurs that are exploratory or affiliated with consulting about the possible redevelopment will be reimbursed by the Chicago Bears, he said.
Elizabeth Owens-Schiele is a freelancer.
