Bears focusing on Chicago's lakefront for new stadium: report

CHICAGO - The Chicago Bears are closer to building a new stadium on the city's lakefront instead of the previously favored Arlington Heights site, according to Crain's Chicago Business, citing government sources.

Contributing factors to this potential shift include the rising costs of developing the Arlington Heights location and improved relations with Mayor Brandon Johnson compared to former Mayor Lori Lightfoot.

Additionally, the Bears' new president, Kevin Warren, who previously oversaw the construction of a new stadium for the Minnesota Vikings in downtown Minneapolis, is considered a significant influence.

"When you travel away from Chicago, you can take a step back and realize that we are fortunate to have Chicago that is such a special place," Warren said during a Jan. 10 press conference. "I want to make sure that wherever we build our stadium that we do it in a manner that pulls our fans together so that we can create experiences that they'll remember for multiple generations."

Previously, the Arlington Park racetrack was the presumed front-runner for the Bears' new home. However, recent reports suggest the team is exploring the option of constructing a state-of-the-art facility on the south parking lot adjacent to Soldier Field.

Despite potential challenges, including estimated costs exceeding $2 billion, Marc Ganis, CEO of Chicago-based Sports Corp, told FOX 32 last year that he believes the NFL would be supportive.

Illinois State Representative Kam Buckner, who worked with the Chicago Cubs during the renovation of Wrigley Field back in 2012, says both the state and the city can be financial partners to the Bears, if the team is sincere in its desire to stay.

"The first step in this is the Bears committing to the mayor and to the city of Chicago that they want to be here and what that looks like to me is that if the Bears want to marry Chicago, they can’t date other people," Buckner said.

Chicago's Friends of the Parks organization opposes the plan, but Buckner suggests an eco-friendly design and transparent negotiations could alleviate concerns.

Ultimately, the loyalty of the fanbase may play a crucial role in determining whether the Bears stay in Chicago. Ganis highlights Chicago's status as one of the best markets for NFL football, and Buckner emphasizes the need for public involvement in the decision-making process.

"There are things that an environment downtown that you can create that you don't have in the suburbs or things in the suburbs that you can create that you don't have downtown, and so I'm one of those individuals that not only do I look at life as the glass is half full, I look at the glass is full and it's pouring over and there's so many things that we can do together," Warren said on Jan. 10. "Absolutely, we can build something that would be magnificent downtown.