Chicago Bears President and CEO Kevin Warren has once again closed the door on the possibility of the team staying in the Windy City.
In an interview with Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio and Chris Simms, Warren said that the only Illinois-based option for a new stadium for the Bears will be at the site of the former Arlington International Racecourse in Arlington Heights.
“We strongly believe the only site in the state of Illinois, in Cook County, is Arlington Heights,” he said.
Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson and numerous other figures have tried to put the city back into the conversation for the future home of the Bears, but Warren has repeatedly emphasized that the Arlington Heights site and a site in northwest Indiana are the team’s primary options at this time.
Warren cited the land available around the Arlington Heights site and its accessibility to highways and railroads as its best features.
“When you see that property, that having 326 acres, with the train station there, the things that we would be able to do, these are some great sites,” he said.
Warren also said the team does not have a set deadline for their stadium project, meaning that Illinois lawmakers still have time to formulate a proposal to keep the team in the state.
“Fortunately the good thing about both of those sites (in Illinois and Indiana) are great locations because our focus is on our fans,” he said.
He also emphasized that the team is seeking to build a “world-class stadium,” and that is their primary focus in the whole process.
“What we have to do is to make sure we keep the North Star the North Star, and that is to build a world-class environment with a fixed roof that our fans can really enjoy,” he said. “To make sure we have the proper ingress and egress and tailgating and parking and all those different accouterments that great stadiums have, and then to be able to host events, the Final Four and the Super Bowl and concerts. And so I feel we’re in a fantastic position.”
