Mayor Johnson’s Bold Plan to Keep Bears Stadium at Chicago’s Lakefront

CHICAGO (WLS) — The future home of the Chicago Bears remains a hot topic, as the city of Chicago strives to keep the team within its borders.

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Mayor Brandon Johnson is set to travel to Springfield to engage in discussions with state lawmakers about taxes, budgeting, and the potential plans for the Bears’ stadium.

Expressing his views candidly, Mayor Johnson described the idea of the Bears relocating from their iconic lakefront location as “foolish.”

The mayor’s agenda includes meetings with legislators scheduled for Wednesday and Thursday.

Currently, the Bears are evaluating two potential sites for their new stadium: one in Arlington Heights and another in Hammond, Indiana.

“The infrastructure improvements being considered for suburban locations have been needed at the lakefront for quite some time,” Johnson remarked. “The lakefront stands as Illinois’ premier tourist attraction. It’s in the best interest of the entire state to bolster this economic powerhouse.”

The “mega projects bill” that would pave the way for the Bears to build a new stadium in Arlington Heights is not on the Senate’s agenda for consideration this week.

RELATED | ‘Megaprojects’ bill passes Illinois House, Bears say changes needed for Arlington Heights stadium

The “mega projects,” or Payment in Lieu of Taxes, bill would freeze for decades the property tax bill for the Bears for a stadium proposed for the old Arlington Racetrack property that the team owns. In exchange, the Bears would make a Payment in Lieu of Taxes to the local taxing bodies.

Illinois lawmakers’ spring session ends May 31.

The Bears have said they plan to share an update on their new stadium plans by late spring or early summer.

ABC7 Chicago’s Craig Wall will travel to Springfield Tuesday night to cover the mayor’s trip, which he is expected to preview during a press briefing on Tuesday.