ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill. (WLS) — Arlington Heights architect and 12-year village Trustee Jim Tinaglia will become the town’s next mayor.

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The longtime trustee who plays in a rock band for fun on the weekends was elected by voters on Tuesday.

Tom Hayes is stepping down from the position after serving a dozen years as mayor.

Hayes endorsed Tinaglia, 62, saying he was the most qualified candidate for the job. Tinaglia grew up in town.

Now, Tinaglia will take over discussions with the Chicago Bears over redeveloping Arlington Park, which was a major topic during the lead-up to the election.

Tinaglia said he’s anxious to meet with the Bears, and he hopes to make Arlington Park their new home.

“My job is going to be to try and help them and encourage them if they if they want to come,” he said. “I’m prepared to help make that happen. That’s what I do for a living. I’m an architect. I work with developers and builders and owners, and it’s always about preparing and making sure that what you think you want to do today is great for the future.”

He said his background makes him well-suited to understand how to ensure the Bears come to Arlington.

“My hope is if the Bears are onboard to come, then, I’m a big fan, I want them to come,” Tinaglia said.

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The move to the suburbs was stalled with the Bears amid a property tax dispute between the team and three local school districts.

The Bears have owned the 326-acre property for more than a year. They’ve released drawings of a planned stadium and entertainment complex, but then turned their pursuit to a new downtown Chicago stadium.

Bears CEO Kevin Warren also talked about the stadium plans in an interview with Pro Football Talk Tuesday.

“The museum campus is a little bit smaller. We’ll have a small mixed-use. But, Arlington Heights, you’re talking about almost being able to build almost a small city with hotels, housing,” he said.

And Bears Chairman George McCaskey said Tuesday during the NFL Annual Meeting, “George Halas identified it more than 50 years ago as an ideal place for a Bears stadium. I don’t know if anything that has happened since then has changed that evaluation.”

The new mayor held his victory party Tuesday night, and said he hopes to talk with Bears officials to figure out the best way to make the deal work for all sides.

“It has to be a benefit for them or they won’t come. So we want to make that happen. But it also has to be a benefit for our community. It can’t be a detriment,” Tinaglia said.

While a new downtown stadium has a lot of supporters, no one has yet figured out how to pay for the extensive infrastructure improvements needed.

Gov. JB Pritzker says he still prefers a city location.

“We welcome the idea that the Bears would stay in the city of Chicago. I’ve always said that that would be my personal preference because I’ve known them always to be a Chicago-based team,” he said.

The mayor-elect said he has not met McCaskey or Warren, but he hopes to talk with them soon.

Tinaglia said he is committed to making the former racetrack site something of an entertainment district, whether the Bears come or not.

He is expected to be sworn into office next month.