Another city near Chicago has reached out to the Bears to express their interest in having the NFL team be the home of their new stadium.
The City of Waukegan, a Lake County suburb of 88,614, did so in a letter from Mayor Ann B. Taylor as she told about the advantages of the team moving their home venue to the city.
In the letter, which was addressed to Bears president and CEO Kevin Warren, she pointed out that Waukegan is located just 20 minutes from Halas Hall, the Bears’ headquarters that are located in Lake Forest. Taylor also pointed out multiple areas of land, including lakefront property, that could be developed by the team for a stadium and entertainment district.
The city’s location to Interstate 94, U.S. Route 41, and a major Metra stop on Union Pacific’s North Line were among other things pointed out by the mayor about the community in the letter.
“Our working class and diverse community is as tough as the 1985 Super Bowl-winning Bears, and our leadership team at Waukegan City Hall is as aggressive as Justin Fields running the ball downfield when it comes to creating economic opportunities for our City, our residents, and the region at large,” said Taylor in her letter. “Our City’s staff and I invite you and your leadership to come to Waukegan to learn about the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity our City can offer the Bears.
“We believe that the Monsters of the Midway deserve the opportunity to continue the tradition of playing along the shores of Lake Michigan, with the market opportunity of having a year-round facility capable of hosting other major events, including the Super Bowl, the Final Four, and other events on an international scale.”
This is at least the second city that has reached out to the Bears after they announced that the Arlington Park property is not their “singular focus” for a new stadium. The team officially closed on the purchase of the former race track in February for $197.2 million with the intent to build a new domed stadium along with a commercial and residential district.
Due to conflict on how much they should be taxed on the Arlington Park property, the Bears decided to look at other communities near Chicago. Earlier this month, Naperville sent a letter to the team, expressing their interest in having the team move to their community.
