Both Bears and White Sox in Arlington Heights? New mayor-elect floats idea to host both
Arlington Heights mayor-elect floats possibility of hosting both Bears and White Sox
In the midst of critical talks about a possible new Bears stadium in Arlington Heights, a new mayor is taking office in the northwest suburb.
ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill. - Arlington Heights has long been in pursuit of becoming the new home of the Chicago Bears but now it appears another local pro team has entered the mix.
The morning after winning his election to become the village's next mayor, Jim Tinaglia told FOX 32 he would love to have the Chicago White Sox relocate to the northwest suburb.
"I want to have a conversation with the Chicago White Sox," Tinaglia said. "I would love, I've said this five years ago, I want this to be a wonderful entertainment destination complex. So if we can get more than the Bears there, I'm all in, and I think our community would benefit from a year-round entertainment destination."
Tinaglia said he has not been in contact with the White Sox.
"If it's not the Bears, I'm hoping somebody will come. But we're not going to rush it. We're going to make sure it's done right and done well for our residents and everyone," Tinaglia said.
Optimism between the Bears, Arlington Heights
What they're saying:
Tinaglia expressed confidence in collaborating with Bears chairman George McCaskey and Bears president and CEO Kevin Warren to smooth out what he said were four "critical" issues prior to the Bears' potential arrival:
- "We want to make sure everything that happens there is safe."
- "We want to make sure that everything that happens there is economically wise and sound."
- "We want to make sure that the traffic is completely understood and in control."
- "We want to make sure our infrastructure is ready, prepared and not overcharged."
At the NFL owners meetings, Warren praised the Arlington Heights site and its proximity to the Metra to FOX 32's Lou Canellis. He also said Chicago would still reap the benefits of a Bears move to the northwest suburb.
"I don't know if It would hurt," Warren said. "I would just think that it would provide us even with more opportunities in Arlington Heights if that happened, because people when they come to Chicago, they'll stay downtown, they'll take the train there. All the restaurants will still be active,"
Warren doubled down on his intentions to start construction this year.
"It's going to be interesting to how it will work out but, we got a lot of work to do these next three to six months. I'm looking forward to leaning into it," Warren said.
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Chicago Bears eyeing move
Big picture view:
Arlington Heights has been at the center of a high-profile debate over the future of the former Arlington International Racecourse site.
In 2023, the Chicago Bears purchased the 326-acre property for $197.2 million, eyeing a potential move from Soldier Field to a newly developed stadium and entertainment district. While the team has not committed to the project, local officials have taken steps to prepare for its possible development, including approving a zoning change to allow sports betting and negotiating tax agreements.
In December 2024, the Arlington Heights Board of Trustees unanimously approved a tax settlement with three school districts, setting the annual property tax bill for the site at $3.6 million while it remains undeveloped.
Though the agreement resolved a major tax dispute, the Bears have stated they are also considering alternative sites in Chicago for a new stadium.
White Sox new stadium pursuit
The backstory:
Since at least 2023, there have been rumors White Sox owner Jerry Reinsdorf was considering a relocation or possibly selling the team entirely.
The team's lease at Rate Field in Bridgeport expires after the 2029 season.
In February 2024, it was reported the White Sox were in "serious" talks to build a stadium on a parcel of land known as "The 78," a sprawling 60-plus acres at Clark Street and Roosevelt Road, currently owned by Related Midwest.
Renderings were released what the new ballpark could look like.
White Sox set up pop-up baseball field in South Loop amid new stadium talks
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Gov. JB Pritzker pumped the brakes on the idea, citing the need for more specifics on how the new stadium would be funded.
"It looks beautiful and obviously we all want our professional teams to succeed in Illinois," Pritzker said last year. "We need to be careful about how we use public dollars and a private business like a pro team, even if they are beloved by so many people, are nevertheless similar to lots of businesses in the state."
Related Midwest has reportedly not asked for state money. Instead, they want the Illinois Sports Facilities Authority to be given the green light to "re-arrange bonds." Those bonds are backed by an existing 2% hotel tax and were used, at least at one time, to help restore Soldier Field.
The Source: The information in this article came from an interview with Arlington Heights mayor-elect Jim Tinaglia and previous FOX 32 reporting.