CHICAGO \u2014 Chicago Bears leaders said Wednesday they want a quick resolution to their search for a new stadium, with a goal of opening a new enclosed stadium by 2030 \u2014 either in Arlington Heights or Indiana.<\/p>\n
Team President and CEO Kevin Warren put a rough timeline on plans to build a new enclosed stadium, hoping to choose a site by this spring or summer, he told reporters at the NFL owners meeting in Phoenix on Wednesday.<\/p>\n
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\u201cI mean, the costs are going up,\u201d Warren said. \u201cThe financial markets are, they\u2019re, because of the war (in Iran), all the different things we have going on, they can be a little uncertain. So it\u2019s time for us to make a decision, and then to be able to finish the design, based upon the location and be in a position to build and open up by 2030.\u201d<\/p>\n
Team officials still are waiting for Illinois lawmakers to approve a proposal that would let the Bears negotiate long-term property tax breaks with local schools and other governmental agencies for a site in Arlington Heights. Gov. JB Pritzker has endorsed the team\u2019s plan to build its own $2 billion stadium, while the state would pay an estimated $855 million for roads and other infrastructure \u2014 but Chicago lawmakers are reluctant to help the team leave the city.<\/p>\n
As an alternative, Indiana lawmakers last month authorized building a new stadium in Hammond, with the team kicking in $2 billion and the state using new taxes to pay about $1 billion. Bears officials are doing their \u201cdue diligence\u201d to finalize site plans for a stadium, while they pressure Illinois to make a counteroffer.<\/p>\n
Despite environmental concerns raised by local residents, Warren said the team has already checked the site for any needed remediation or cleanup and found \u201cno issues there.\u201d He added that the site, likely at Lost Marsh Golf Course near Wolf Lake, is \u201cbig\u201d at 340 acres, saying it\u2019s a good site \u201cstructurally.\u201d<\/p>\n
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\u201cIt\u2019s a really good site that we feel comfortable with, and we feel comfortable with the site in Arlington Heights, so we\u2019ll just keep pushing forward,\u201d Warren said.<\/p>\n
The team is working with Indiana officials to determine infrastructure needs like transportation and parking, Warren said.<\/p>\n
\u201cYeah, we\u2019ll work through all the final details of the term sheet from an infrastructure standpoint, but we have a kind of meeting of the minds of what that would look like,\u201d he said. \u201cBut part of this due diligence while we\u2019re doing it, that will dictate as far as what are the final things that are needed from an infrastructure standpoint. So once we get that done, then we could finish up.\u201d<\/p>\n
Addressing the lack of nearby hotels, Warren said Chicago is close enough to both Gary and Arlington Heights that the city would provide hotels, restaurants and other amenities to visitors. The Bears will learn from the Ricketts family\u2019s development around Wrigley Field, with Warren saying they\u2019ve done \u201ca fantastic job.\u201d<\/p>\n
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\u201cAnd like how they fit the hotel and the restaurant and Gallagher Way, I mean, it\u2019s exciting to go to Wrigleyville around there,\u201d he said. \u201cI think that\u2019s the best baseball environment in all of the major leagues.\u201d<\/p>\n
Wherever the stadium ends up, Chairman George McCaskey confirmed that the team, valued by Forbes at about $9 billion, would have to take out a loan to come up with at least $2 billion for an enclosed stadium. But any stadium financing would not affect football operations, he emphasized.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re going to have to borrow it,\u201d McCaskey said \u201cBecause we don\u2019t have it. That\u2019s where the risk comes in.\u201d<\/p>\n
McCaskey pointed out that his grandfather, team founder George Halas, played for the Hammond All Stars football team in 1919, adding that he thinks fans would get used to driving to Indiana, if necessary, comparing it to the New York Giants and Jets relocating years ago to New Jersey.<\/p>\n
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\u201cI don\u2019t think in the end it\u2019s going to matter to people,\u201d he said. \u201c\u2026 And whether we go to Arlington Park or to Hammond, there is going to be an adjustment period. People are going to have to be allowed some time to get used to it. I think Bears fans are up to it.\u201d<\/p>\n
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