JB Pritzker And Bears Just Cleared Major Hurdle On Stadium Deal — And What It Means

The latest buzz was that the Chicago Bears‘ stadium saga would reach a decisive moment by the end of February. If the Illinois state government didn’t do anything to help the franchise in the efforts to begin constructing a new stadium in Arlington Heights, the Bears would leave for northwest Indiana. That state has been rolling out the red carpet to try to lure them from Chicago. Legislation has already been passed to help with infrastructure funding and property taxes. All the Bears would have to do is pick a location. After three years of disinterest, it seems that finally got the attention of Governor JB Pritzker.

Illinois recently passed legislation that would help businesses secure the funds needed for economic projections, including infrastructure. Many took that as a sign that Pritzker was finally making moves to ensure the Bears stayed in the state. According to Christopher Placek of the Daily Herald, momentum has continued building. A big hurdle is about to be cleared as a bill the Bears have pushed for a long time will finally be brought to the floor in Springfield. If passed, it would allow the team to negotiate property taxes with Arlington Heights, all but completing the final phase before construction.

Sunday marks three years since the Bears closed on the $197.2 million purchase of the former Arlington Park racetrack.

Now, long-stalled legislation that would give the NFL franchise a long-term property tax break and pave the way to construction of a stadium complex on the prime Northwest suburban acreage is finally set to move this week in Springfield.

House Bill 2789 — otherwise known as the megaproject, or Payments in Lieu of Taxes, legislation — is set for a hearing at 8 a.m. Thursday before the House Revenue and Finance Committee. Legislators return for the spring session Tuesday, ahead of Gov. JB Pritzker’s State of the State and budget address to a joint session of the House and Senate Wednesday.

But the major players — Pritzker and his staff, legislators from both chambers and Bears brass — have been meeting behind closed doors since the team announced in December it was expanding its stadium search to Northwest Indiana.

JB Pritzker lost the high ground and knew it.

The reason this entire situation lasted three years was that the governor never felt any pressure to help the Bears. They were still under lease at Soldier Field and had never threatened to move out of state once in over a century. He probably thought they would whine and complain until they gave up, accepting their fate to stay where they were, much like George Halas did years ago. All of that changed when Kevin Warren hit the nuclear option by opening up talks with Indiana.

Suddenly, JB Pritzker was in danger of becoming the man who let the Chicago Bears, an Illinois institution, leave the state for the first time in 106 years of existence. For a man who hopes to eye a presidential run in the future, that is a political black eye he could not afford. It is no accident that talks picked up after the Bears made that announcement. It was meant to get Pritzker’s attention, and it succeeded. If things progress as they have, the Bears could have all the legislation in place to get shovels in the ground by the summer, which means the new stadium could open by 2030 or 2031 at the latest.

It will be a relief to finally get this entire saga behind us. Fans have dealt with the stalemate and not-so-subtle mudslinging for too long. They want a resolution. It’s almost at hand.