Mayor Lightfoot Open To Roof On Soldier Field As Bears Explore Bolting For Arlington

Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot appeared on both major local sports talk radio stations last week and discussed her efforts to keep the Bears in Chicago.

The Bears have a purchase agreement in place for Arlington Park in Arlington Heights. If the deal closes, the team could build a SoFi Stadium-esque facility in Arlington Heights.

Lightfoot, however, wants to keep the Bears in the Windy City. She said on WSCR-AM 670:

We’ll keep doing everything we can to keep the Bears in Chicago, & ldquo, We & rsquo. We & rsquo is currently developing some plans to present to them that, in my opinion, will make a very strong financial argument for why staying in Chicago makes so much sense. & rdquo,

Lightfoot also suggested that Soldier Field might have a dome on WMVP-AM 1000:

I believe that & rsquo is something we need to investigate. We do. The ceiling is evidently a problem, but there are other items we may do to really make the facilities more welcoming for Bears fans. & rdquo,

Lightfoot even left the door ajar so the Bears could leave Soldier Field but remain inside the city boundaries. She mentioned that there are about 10,000 vacant lots under capital control.

The mayor added that when there is bad weather, Soldier Field is a terrible fan experience andrdquo on the east side of the venue.

However, Lightfoot is adamant that the Bears may remain in Chicago, citing the city’s amenities:

A tier-one market, an audience, a fan base, and I don’t believe they can obtain that in Arlington Heights, according to & ldquo. & rdquo,

It is quite the tone shift from Lightfoot compared to several months ago when she responded to the Arlington news by mocking the franchise’s on-field performance.

The Arlington Park entrance is calm.

In September, The Bears signed a acquire contract for$ 119.2 million. We still don’t know if the deal may be carried out, though.

Bears President Ted Phillipsspoke a bit about the Arlington quest in a January press conference. It’s also worth noting that Phillips, who used to be heavily involved in football and business operations, will scale back his football role to focus on the new stadium.

In January, he mentioned the probable location:

There is nothing else in Chicagoland like & ldquo, There & rsquo. Therefore, the prospects andmdash, you know, we haven’t even started to imagine what it might be. However, we & rsquo, are optimistic that if we come to an agreement, it will be moving forward with making it a fantastic destination site. & rdquo,

And so on:

Again, we are unsure of the exact time because we haven’t yet closed on the area. If we don’t shut in on the land, none of that vision will come true. However, we & rsquo is excited that it might be a destination for entertainment with many facets that, in my opinion, could really help put Arlington Heights on the map as an attraction. & rdquo,

One would assume Bears professionals took notice after witnessing the Super Bowl being held at the brand-new SoFi Stadium in Inglewood. A brand-new roofed residential mega stadium do the staff a chance to regularly network Super Bowls.

a fresh approach for the Bears

The days of the Bears & rsquo, Soldier Field, seem to be numbered, and the football team has undergone a lot of recent changes.

Ryan Pace, the common director, and former head coach Matt Nagy have left. Ryan Poles and Matt Eberflus are present.

Justin Fields continues to serve as the team’s starting quarterback, and it is Poles’ responsibility to provide better training and personnel system around him.

It’s been challenging to be a Bears fan lately, It & rsquo. However, change offers trust, and for a company that is frequently criticized for not keeping up with the times, it is at least attempting to catch up.