ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill. — As the Bears continue to insist their focus remains on Chicago’s lakefront for a potential new stadium, the Daily Herald reported this weekend that the team has received and responded to a proposed settlement from Arlington Heights regarding tax discrepancies over land the Bears still own in the northwest suburb.
According to the report, Arlington Heights Mayor Tom Hayes told the Daily Herald the proposed settlement has “been communicated to the Bears, and that’s what we’re discussing now.”
Impasse on property taxes
Arlington Heights at one point seemed to be the leading candidate for the Bears to locate their potential new stadium after the team purchased the 326-acre Arlington Park property, formerly home to Arlington International Racecourse, in February 2023 for $197.2 million.
However, three suburban school districts in and around Arlington Heights had the land valued significantly higher than the Bears did, and the Cook County Board of Review did not give the Bears the property tax relief they had been seeking.
The Daily Herald reports that the Feb. 28 decision of the Board of Review set the value of the property at $124.7 million, leaving the Bears with an $8.9 million tax bill. The Bears, the report says, want the value of the property lowered to $60 million, which would drop the tax bill to $1.7 million.
The Bears formally appealed the Board of Review’s ruling on March 29, but according to the Daily Herald, it could take until early next year before a decision is made. The report notes that the Board of Review has until Sept. 4 to submit its own evidence or request an extension in response to the appeal.
In the meantime, Bears President and CEO Kevin Warren has repeatedly said the team’s focus is now on building a stadium in the City of Chicago, along the lakefront. In late April, the Bears revealed their proposal for a domed lakefront stadium just south of where Soldier Field now sits.
The Bears said they’ll contribute just over $2 billion in that proposal, but they’re also asking for a significant amount of public funding. They face an uphill — if not futile — battle to secure that, as state officials have reiterated over and over they will not agree to significant public funding for a new Bears stadium.
Arlington Heights still in the picture?
While Warren has kept saying the Bears remain determined to get a stadium deal done in the city, the team still owns the Arlington Park property.
According to the Daily Herald, Arlington Heights officials have spent almost a year drafting a memorandum of understanding that would resolve the dispute between the Bears and the three area school districts over property tax assessments on the property.
Hayes, who announced last week that he won’t seek reelection in April for a fourth term, did not disclose to the Daily Herald specific details of the settlement document sent to the Bears, but he did confirm, “They have responded, and discussions continue.”
And the mayor, who has 10 months left in office now, told the Daily Herald he still believes Arlington Heights is the best spot for the Bears.
“I feel really good that we’ve presented a proposal to the Bears that they can feel comfortable with, and we’ve communicated that to them, and they have responded, and discussions are continuing,” Hayes told the paper.
“I feel very hopeful about where things are at. And I’ve always said that, ultimately, I think the Bears will find that Arlington Heights is the best site for them.”