Bears execs: We only want public cash for non-stadium parts of our ginormous stadium development

The Chicago Bears ownership released renderings of their planned Arlington Park stadium development yesterday, and they are pretty underwhelming:


That’s some kind of generic domed stadium or possibly an enormous pound cake, accompanied by a “mixed use district” of indistinguishable geometric shapes. The most notable part of the renderings, honestly, is that Chicago seems to have been beset by low-lying clouds or ground fog, or maybe the impact of the stadium will be so great that the surrounding neighborhood will be literally on fire? Without captions, none can say.

The most notable part of the rest of the press release, meanwhile, is certainly this:

While the Bears will seek no public funding for direct stadium structure construction, given the broad, long-term public benefits of this project, 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.

This is the “we only want infrastucture help” model that has previously delivered more than a billion dollars in public funds to the New York Yankees owners and will do the same for the Oakland A’s owners if they have their way. Yes, it’s important that the team owners will be paying for stadium construction themselves; it’s equally important that for a development project, developers don’t care what the taxpayer checks are ostensibly for, they just care how much the checks are for, so $1 billion in subsidies is $1 billion in subsidies regardless of what it says in the memo fields.

The reason for asking for the money this way, of course, is for spin: If you can successfully get “no public stadium money” into the headlines, you’ve scored an important rhetorical point that should, if nothing else, provide cover for the elected officials you’ll be asking to approve this deal. So far this ploy hasn’t been too successful: The Chicago Tribune, Chicago Sun-Times, and CBS Chicago all led with the subsidies the Bears owners are asking for, not the ones they aren’t, though Sports Illustrated’s Bears fan site did roll with “Bears Stress No Public Money for Stadium” as its headline. It’s still early days yet, though, and team officials did also throw out a bunch of economic impact numbers as well — $1.4 billion in annual economic impact, $77.1 million in added annual tax revenue, and so on, with no sources provided for any of it — just in case that argument sticks better.

It should all make for interesting discussion at tomorrow’s community meeting, assuming any public discussion is allowed then. The meeting will be held from 7 to 9 p.m. in the Hersey High School gym, 1900 E. Thomas St. in Arlington Heights; no sign of a webstream as of yet, but if one turns up, you know I will add it here.

Other Recent Posts:

Share this post:

10 comments on “Bears execs: We only want public cash for non-stadium parts of our ginormous stadium development

  1. And now Mayor Lightfoot is wondering aloud if perhaps another NFL football team could be awarded to Chicago, and play in the UFO stadium that is Soldier Field…

    1. Yeah the Dallas mayor made a headline or two a few months ago saying he wanted another NFL team to play in Dallas proper. Not happening obviously but it would be nice to see one of these suburb relocating teams be told to pound sand if the ever want a SB parade, and have to drive around a parking lot like the NJ Devils did. Then again I’m not holding my breath that either the Cowboys or the Bears will be planning such parades any time soon.

  2. Not to go all Mike Mulligan, but how will people get out (or in). The train tracks are at road level and no cut outs to the west.

    1. Very carefully. I’ve been there when people were leaving Arlington Park, and trains were arriving and departing from both directions. It’s a frightening dance with death.

  3. After conducting an informal poll of nearly everyone I know here in my home city, I can confidently say that nearly 90% of Chicagoans hope the Bears drown in Lake Michigan, at this point.

    If they like the suburbs so well, they can stay dere.

    1. LOL. I bet! Normally in these situations, we assume that the team moving is trading it’s old fans for new and richer fans.

      Is there any chance that happens at Arlington Heights or are they counting on the existing fan base moving with them?

      I’m sure some will regardless, but enough?

      1. The existing fan base already lives in the suburbs.

        Half of the people living in the city of Chicago weren’t even born in Illinois.

        And the half that were born in the city mostly can’t afford to attend games.

        So the local attitude is indifferent,

        But the city believes that the Bears are a bunch of deadbeat tenants who can’t afford to build a stadium.

        And they’re trying to figure out what’s going on with this subsidy con, since a couple of Arlington Heights tax breaks isn’t going to full the gap either.

        https://twitter.com/sspphotos/status/1568243226187890689?s=46&t=nKvO1cdhqdWlpoy-mavIjw

  4. I’m thinking along the lines of Disney & EPCOT, but instead of a giant blue Mickey-wizard hat, it’s got a white top hat version as the focal point…although I too saw a nice piece of cake…

Comments are closed.