The latest in the Chicago Bears stadium watch has us looking outside of city limits for a possible landing spot for a stadium to be built later.
In a recent op-ed in the Chicago Tribune co-authored by Aurora Mayor Richard Irvin, a case is made for the city —located approximately 1.5 hours west of Soldier Field — to be the future home of Bears football.
Here’s the new pitch from the Aurora bunch:
While searching for a location for a new domed stadium, the Bears don’t need to call a Hail Mary pass; they have an ideal choice in Aurora, our state’s second-largest and fastest-growing economy.
Our city’s vision and professional know-how make Aurora the natural choice for the Bears’ next era. Instead of negotiating with local and state officials over where the money for a new lakefront stadium in Chicago will come from, we’re poised to immediately welcome the Bears’ storied franchise to the City of Lights.
In the song “exile” from her folklore album, Taylor Swift sings: “I think I’ve seen this film before, and I didn’t like the ending. Those words came into my brain when I saw news of Aurora reiterating its interest in being the next football home for the Chicago Bears. Part of that is due to my fandom. But in reality, it is mostly rooted in that we did this song and dance last June when the concept of the Bears moving out of Soldier Field and into a spot outside of city limits was floated.
Aurora renews its interest in being home base for Chicago Bears football
And in case you missed it, this is what what we had to say about it last year when Steve Lord (Tribune/Aurora Beacon-News) shared that a letter to the Bears from Aurora Mayor Richard Irvin expressed interest in letting the team explore the option in his town.
Similar to the letter Waukegan’s mayor sent to the Bears, the Aurora mayor boasts the city’s location (50 miles south of Soldier Field), history, and credentials that show the city’s ability to get development projects done. Plus, a press release from the city says Bears reps “responded quickly and positively” to the letter. Of course, they did. Aurora presents another lever for the Bears to pull if they’re making a leverage play. Additionally, I suppose the city also represents another option if the Bears are truly serious about exploring their options outside of Arlington Park. It’s certainly bold on Aurora’s part.
Aurora’s newfound interest stems from recent statements by President Kevin Warren. As recently as Monday, Warren expressed a bit of doubt about the team building on the Arlington Park site.Even going as far as using the word “stalemate”when describing discussions between the team and the town. This is a revelation of sorts. Especially when it comes just months afterWarren said Arlington Heights was the sole focuson a new stadium. Warren sayingArlington Heights is no longer the franchise’s singular focuscould still just be a leverage play. But I’m starting to take it more seriously now. Especially as more cities let it be known that they’re open to being the Bears’ next home.
MORE: Kevin Warren Provides an Update on Stadium Situation
Given that Aurora is making it known (yet again) that it is opening its doors to the possibility to being where the Bears build their next stadium, it wouldn’t surprise me to see other municipalities who showed interest do something similar. Whether the Bears follow up with those cities, suburbs, and towns is something I’m uncertain of at this time. Bears President and CEO Kevin Warren has been clear that his plans (even though there’s been pushback from the state) revolve around building a new stadium on the Chicago lakefront in a project that proposes to bring upgrades to Museum Campus. Then again, there was a time when Arlington Park was the sole focus of a stadium project.
In the end, it leaves us taking pitches (like the one from Aurora) with a grain of salt. But it doesn’t mean I’ll ignore the story. So stay tuned. This thing is far from over.
written by
Luis C. Medina
Luis C. Medina, who you can find on Twitter at lcm1986, has been covering the Chicago Bears at Bleacher Nation since 2017. Since then, he has written about 3 head coaches, 5 play-callers, and 11 starting quarterbacks. Previously, Luis wrote about the Cubs and MLB at BN (2015-16) and worked in the Chicago Tribune sports department (2011-16). He also co-hosted a Cubs postgame show, Outside the Ivy, in 2019.
