Skip to content

Mayor Brandon Johnson has said he wants to keep the Bears in Chicago because the NFL franchise is interested in moving to another suburb outside of Arlington Heights.

Johnson made the comments at a press conference when asked about the Bears flirting with the franchise’s push to move to Naperville because of state funding and property tax breaks.

The mayor didn’t offer specifics on how to convince the group to stay in Chicago, but said it’s important to “have a conversation.”

“I grew up on the ‘Super Bowl Shuffle.’ “I mean, when I was young, as old men used to say to young people, ’85 Bears, Super Bowl mess, you don’t know anything about that,” said Johnson, who grew up in suburban Elgin. Here in the city of Chicago, we want to make sure we can keep rocking with the Bears.

The mayor didn’t offer specifics on how to convince the group to stay in Chicago, but said it’s important to “have a conversation.”

Mayor Brandon Johnson answers questions during a press conference at Orr Academy High School on June 7, 2023.

“I want to make sure the Chicago Bears, the park district and the residents of the city of Chicago have a real seat at the table to discuss the way forward.” City of Chicago” and promised to approach the discussions “with caution and consideration”.

Keeping the Bears in Chicago or Soldier Field while the team pursues a modern stadium that competes with other sites at national events like the Super Bowl or the NCAA tournament requires care, sensitivity or consideration.

Bears officials met with Naperville Mayor Scott Werley on Friday to discuss the possibility of abandoning their plans to build a new stadium in Arlington Heights and build it in a larger west side neighborhood.

The Bears protest that a recent tax increase on the former Arlington Park racetrack, which they bought and began demolishing this year, would result in taxes far exceeding the value of the property.

The group pursued financial incentives for infrastructure on the project, and fought for support in the state legislature.

But the team is eager to leave Soldier Field, the smallest and one of the most modern stadiums in the NFL.

Releasing the bear threat is a political challenge. While few people support public funding for a new stadium — especially as city taxpayers continue to pay for expensive renovations to Soldier Field, which was designed to house the team in 2004 — losing an NFL franchise could hurt the city’s image.

Johnson’s predecessor, Lori Lightfoot, has tried to deflect criticism of plans to install a dome at Soldier Field, an expensive idea the Bears have expressed no interest in. It’s unclear what steps Johnson wants to take to keep the team in town. Limitations.

[ad_2]

Comments

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *