If the Chicago Bears follow through with their "master plan vision" for Arlington Park, there will be much more than just a stadium being built in Arlington Heights.
The team gave fans a first look at their initial designs Tuesday as they consider a massive move from Soldier Field to the northwest Chicago suburb.
The Bears launched a new website Tuesday afternoon, detailing their potential plans for what would not only be a new stadium but a much larger mixed-used space. Included in the note are renderings of what such a mega-project would look like.
"Make no mistake, this is much more than a stadium project," a letter from the team reads.
Read the full letter from the team here.
In fact, if things go as planned, the team says the project will be "one of the largest development projects in Illinois state history."
"We envision a multi-purpose entertainment district anchored by a new, best-in-class enclosed stadium, providing Chicagoland with a new home worthy of hosting global events such as the Super Bowl, College Football Playoffs, and Final Four," the letter states.
Among the plans is a "multi-purpose entertainment, commercial/retail, and housing district."
"The long-term project vision for the entire property is an ongoing work-in-progress, but could include: restaurants, office space, hotel, fitness center, new parks and open spaces, and other improvements for the community to enjoy," the team said.
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But the Bears made clear that nothing is guaranteed about the potential move from Soldier Field as much remains uncertain - including funding.
"We remain under contract to purchase the property, but there are conditions that must be met in order to be in a position to close. If we do close on the property, it does not guarantee we will develop it," the letter states, adding that, "while the Bears will seek no public funding for direct stadium structure construction... we look forward to partnering with the various governmental bodies to secure additional funding and assistance needed to support the feasibility of the remainder of the development."
The renderings come just ahead of a community meeting between the team and Arlington Heights residents.
The meeting, which will be held from 7-9 p.m. Thursday at John Hersey High School in Arlington Heights, will detail what a Bears statement called “one of the largest development projects in Illinois state history.” Arlington Heights Mayor Tom Hayes said neither he nor members of the Arlington Heights village board would be part of the community meeting intended to field concerns and suggestions from residents of the suburb.
The Bears are in escrow for the former Arlington Racetrack site, for which they signed a $197.2 million purchase agreement last year. President/CEO Ted Phillips said in January he anticipated closing on the land to take until the end of this year and possibly even drag into early 2023.
“Our focus for long-term development is exclusively on that property at Arlington Park,” Phillips said in January.
Hayes said he expects the village to take up more substantial discussion about their negotiations with the team later this month. The village board is next scheduled to convene Tuesday.
While their current home at Soldier Field is historic, its stature is diminished by its deficiencies compared to state-of-the-art stadiums around the NFL. Soldier Field opened in 1924 and earned National Historic Landmark status in 1984 before losing it in 2006 after renovations left it with a mismatched look as though a spaceship had landed on top of the iconic columns.
Almost every stadium in the league far exceeds Soldier Field’s comfort and amenities, and late-season games on the lakefront can be brutally cold. It has been widely assumed that any new stadium would be indoors.
It has also been problematic for the Bears to rent the stadium from the Chicago Park District rather than owning their own building. That arrangement severely limits what they can do with the facility and cuts into revenue.
Soldier Field also has the NFL’s smallest capacity at about 62,000. There are 13 stadiums that can hold 70,000-plus, and most of those are in smaller markets than the Chicago area.
Building a stadium in Arlington Heights would immediately put the area in line to host a Super Bowl (currently sites are scheduled through the 2025 game). The league has rewarded every team that has done so with a Super Bowl, even if it’s not part of the regular rotation. The Vikings’ U.S. Bank Stadium opened in 2016 and hosted the Super Bowl in 2018.
