Bears resume studies for potential redevelopment of Arlington Park

The Chicago Bears have resumed economic impact, traffic and other evaluative studies and begun to refine conceptual site plans for a potential redevelopment of Arlington Park, officials said.

Bears/President CEO Kevin Warren confirmed resumption of the behind-the-scenes work by the team’s consultants in a Feb. 21 letter to Arlington Heights Village Manager Randy Recklaus.

The Bears told their consultants to pause studies related to a $5 billion redevelopment of the shuttered racetrack when a property tax dispute arose with area school districts two years ago.

But a memorandum of understanding — approved in December by the NFL franchise and elected boards for the village, Palatine Township Elementary District 15, Northwest Suburban High School District 214 and Palatine-Schaumburg High School District 211 — resolved the tax battle. The Cook County Board of Review certified the assessed value of the 326-acre property on Feb. 13.

And per the memorandum, the Bears agreed to restart evaluative studies within 60 days of that certification.

Mayor Tom Hayes said he and village officials expect to get the team’s traffic report “very soon” — perhaps within the next week, since work had already begun on it before the Bears shifted plans to developing a new Chicago lakefront stadium.

The financial study is expected at village hall shortly thereafter, Hayes said.

While the team’s professed focus is on trying to build a $3.2 billion publicly owned domed stadium south of Soldier Field, they’ve also left open the door to a return to Arlington Park.

The football club purchased the sprawling site for $197.2 million two years ago.

“I’m definitely very encouraged about where things are at in the process,” Hayes said. “We’ve been having frequent discussions with them as they continue to explore the site and move in the direction that I hope will be back to Arlington Heights.”

“Certainly their public statement still is that their focus is on the lakefront,” the mayor added. “But I’m hopeful that that’s going to change soon.”

The Bears unveiled renderings in September 2022 for a mixed-use, transit-oriented development at the old horse racing venue. Anchored by a domed stadium in the northwest corner of the property, the envisioned development boasted a bevy of uses on some 200 acres to the east, including hotels, a fitness center, sportsbook, hall of fame, performance venue, restaurants, retailers, homes, parks and open space.

But those plans have gathered dust on the shelf.

Hayes called the initial sketches “a placeholder,” and said there’s more work to do on what all 326 acres is going to look like.

“Exactly where the stadium was going to be and what the ancillary uses were going to be was very much open ended back then,” he said. “Even now with any kind of supplemental plans that we’re getting, that’s not going to be the final product.”

On Monday night, Hayes and village trustees are set to approve an amended agreement with their own traffic consultant that will evaluate and vet the Bears’ study once it arrives.

The village board inked a contract in September 2022 with Sam Schwartz Consulting for a traffic and parking assessment, but the firm has since been purchased by T.Y. Lin Great Lakes.

The new agreement includes updated rates, but the Bears have agreed to reimburse the village for consultant costs through an escrow account, under terms of an October 2022 predevelopment agreement.

The village in 2022 retained another consultant, Hunden Strategic Partners, to do a fiscal economic impact, market analysis and peer review of the Bears’ initial economic impact assessment.

But Hayes said a new agreement will also need to be approved — whether it be with Hunden or a different consultant. While that isn’t ready for the meeting Monday, the board is expected to take action in the near future, he said.

Village officials say the studies are crucial to determine the economic and financial viability of the project and to identify and plan for needed infrastructure to support it.

“We want to continue our due diligence and keep the process moving forward,” Hayes said.