Soldier Field is the oldest stadium in the NFL, opening in 1924 and serving as home to countless memories. With the time coming for a new Chicago Bears stadium, there is reportedly significant competition to host the storied NFL franchise.
Originally, the Bears’ organization set its sights on the Arlington Heights region as the new home for its stadium. Talks seemed to be progressing, with Soldier Field viewed as being in its final years and a new spot for a state-of-the-art stadium picked out.
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However, the situation has taken a turn in recent months. The Bears announced in June that Arlington Heights was no longer their “singular focus”, which opened the door for other cities and regions to step into the mix.
While the estimated cost for building an NFL stadium is now upwards of $1-plus billion and the Bears’ franchise has largely struggled on the field for many years, interest is still high. If Arlington Heights isn’t willing to meet the team’s needs, there are others willing to do so.
As reported by Front Office Sports, seven cities have now publicly expressed interest and are competing to be the home of the next Bears’ stadium. While there’s still a desire to keep the team in Chicago, building a new domed stadium outside of Chicago now seems to be possible.
Country Club Hills, which is more than 20 miles away from downtown Chicago, informed Bears’ team president Kevin Warren and franchise owner Virginia McVaskey that it want to be the team’s new home.
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The city joins Naperville, Waukegan, Aurora and Richton Park each sending letters from their mayors to Warren and McKaskey, with each making pitches on why their town would be an ideal home for the Bears’ stadium.
At the center of problems right now with Arlington Heights is a tax dispute, with the Bears requesting in May to demolish the old Arlington International Raceway and Cook County assessing the land at far more than the Bears believe it’s worth.
While city officials are actively trying to work through the matter, it’s opened the door for others to try and sway the Bears’ original decision. While there’s no current favorite, the city of Chicago is also part of the negotiations as Mayor Brandon Johnson attempts to keep the Bears downtown.