Bears To Arlington Heights? Here’s Why People Are Discussing The Idea

Written By Joe Boozell on February 26, 2021Last Updated on March 2, 2021
bears at arlington heights

Churchill Downs announced this week that it plans to sellArlington International Racecourse. And the use of the word “redevelopment” in its statement suggests that Arlington won’t remain a horse track.

But could it be transformed back into something as ambitious as, say, a sports venue?

While it’s a mere hypothetical at this point, there has been plenty of Bears to Arlington Heightschatter over the past few days, most notably from NBC Sports Chicago Bears insider Adam Hoge.

The Chicago BearsSoldier Field, which is situated between Lake Michigan and downtown, is now the site of play. However, some people think the center is out of date, among other things.

Why then would a union between the Bears and Arlington Heights make feel? Here are some justifications.

Super Bowls, Final Four games, etc. may be held in Chicago.

Of course, Arlington Heights, which is about a 35-minute push from downtown Chicago, had host the games.

But the city of Chicago would still benefit from the tourism and general spotlight. There is also a Metra train stop at Arlington International, only footsteps away from the park.

The Bears had construct an 80, 000-seat, multi-purpose building with a retractable roof if they relocated to Arlington Heights. They would then be able to host major activities like the Super Bowl, Final Fours, and others that they are now missing out on.

Minneapolis, a other cold-weather town, has been able to host both occasions. Chicago won’t sniff either as long as it lacks such a resource, won & rsquo.

was construct a football-themed neighborhood in Arlington Heights

On 326 acres of land, Arlington International is located.

The Super Bowl may be held at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, which is 298 acres in size. And it & rsquo is generally regarded as a very nice facility.

Additionally, SoFi Stadium will be surrounded by eateries, bars, hotels, nightclubs, etc. once the restoration project is finished.

As most Chicago residents are aware, Soldier Field is largely situated on a small area. Despite being stunning, it is very difficult to reach it, and the area lacks anything mentioned previously.

Also tailgating is difficult, and given the amount of land at Arlington, the Bears was completely reimagine the atmosphere and gameday experience around it.

Yet though Arlington is not in Chicago, getting there is simple.

Arlington Heights initially seems like it & rsquo and is far from Chicago, which is one reason to dislike this concept.

However, Soldier Field is not readily accessible, whereas Arlington International is.

As was previously mentioned, the travel is really over 30 minutes from downtown and the coach stop is steps away from the park.

Soldier Field, on the other hand, lacks any practical means of public transport. Unless you’re from the South Loop, it’s challenging to get to even if you live in Chicago andmdash, and that doesn’t get residents into consideration.

Arlington International not only has a coach halt, but it is also directly off of Interstate 90.

For many Chicago residents, moving to Arlington Heights wouldn’t necessarily improve ride day andmdash; instead, they would simply be moving farther away from traffic.

It’s reasonable, right?

Although it’s a plausible notion, it Probably won’t happen for a few reasons, though.

First, it’s said that the Bears’ license with Soldier Field won’t expire until 2033. To escape from it would require some manoeuvre.

The money is the next problem. The Bears are the company, and the McCaskey Family, which owns them, doesn’t have any other business endeavors.

The McCaskeys are not the stereotypical businessman sports owners you may think, despite the fact that they are a crying poor family. Many integrated parties would want to come up with a creative funding solution for this to occur.

Finally, there’s the “tradition” intangible. While Soldier Field has its flaws, it’s a Bears staple, and the Bears to Arlington Heights idea is incredibly polarizing.

Even though the Bears aren’t particularly good at football, their product is very powerful, and Soldier Field is a part of that.

It’s at least a fun, creative exercise, it & rsquo. Life as a Bears fan would undoubtedly change if it & rsquo, furthermore.

AP pictures by Kiichiro Sato
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Boozell, Joe

Boozell, Joe has also been a college sports writer for NCAA.com since 2015. His work has also appeared in Bleacher Report, FoxSports.com and NBA.com. Growing up, Boozell squared off against both Anthony Davis and Frank Kaminsky in the Chicagoland basketball scene … you can imagine how that went.

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