How Chicago Bears could score public funding for possible move to Arlington Heights

CHICAGO (WLS) — As the Chicago Bears inch closer to making Arlington Heights their new home, the team is now looking to secure funding for their mega-project.

The Bears officially closed on a deal to purchase the Arlington Park property last week, but made it clear the move is not a done deal. They need certain assurances first, the team’s owners wrote in an open letter.

“If we construct a state-of-the-art stadium, we will not seek taxpayer funds locally or otherwise for the structure,” the letter said. “If we proceed, however, this project would require assistance to ensure feasibility, including our securing property tax certainty and support for infrastructure commensurate with the public benefits the project will yield to the region.”

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City leaders are looking at multiple options for public funding. State Sen. Ann Gillespie (D-Arlington Heights) has followed negotiations closely and recently filed a pair of bills in the legislature designed to guide conversations around public support.

Gillespie said she is not outright opposed to leveraging public dollars to help bring the project to fruition if the team and local policymakers can strike a deal with convincing public benefits. But, many of her constituents have already made up their minds, and an “overwhelming majority” don’t want to send their tax dollars to aid the Bears’ vision, she said.

Illinois Answers Project took a closer look at the ways the Bears could score public funding for a move. You can read the full report here.