Preserve the Chicago Bears

Photograph caption: Chicago Bears Stadium Rendering at Arlington Park (Courtesy WTTW)

By Delmarie Cobb

The Arlington Heights Bears. The Naperville Bears. The Waukegan Bears. Oh my, what metropolis would be the subsequent one to attempt to lure the Chicago Bears to come back make it their house?

Name me loopy, however I discover it exhausting to imagine that nobody in Chicago authorities is providing the Bears what they need—to personal a domed stadium and construct an leisure district. The professionals for Soldier Discipline are its lakefront location and easy accessibility. The cons are the Bears don’t personal it and it’s the smallest stadium within the Nationwide Soccer League with no choices to develop.

A brand new Chicago Bears stadium provides the homeowners a possibility to begin a Sportsbook, host a Tremendous Bowl, construct a resort, present retail house for bars, eating places and shops. In different phrases, create a Bears village.

To take action the McCaskey household desires house. One thing Kevin Warren, the brand new president and CEO mentioned is exclusive in regards to the Arlington Worldwide Racecourse website, “You don’t get many occasions to have over 300 acres near the town,” defined Warren. Consequently, the 326 acres might remodel right into a “great 365-day-a-year leisure district,” in line with Ted Phillips, the previous president and CEO.

The Bears say it’s the precise factor to do.

“It’s our duty to take heed to different municipalities in Chicagoland about potential places that may ship on this transformational alternative for our followers, our membership and the State of Illinois,” mentioned Scott Hagel, the staff’s senior vp of promoting and communications.

So, if it’s house the Bears need? If it’s to create a transformational alternative for the followers? If it’s to do proper by the State of Illinois, then why isn’t the vacant U.S. Metal SouthWorks website into consideration?

The South Aspect location is roughly 10 miles from the Chicago Loop. The lakefront property is definitely accessible from DuSable Lake Shore Drive. It’s described as “one of many largest contiguous infill- and waterfront-parcels on the market in america,” but the 600 acres of land has been sitting empty for many years. Final, it could present the transformational alternative the Bears need and Chicago’s South Aspect wants.

Shut your eyes for a second and picture if this land was 10 miles north of the Chicago Loop. The SouthWorks website provides Warren, the McCaskey Household, Mayor Brandon Johnson and Governor J.B. Pritzker a possibility to place collectively a deal that may be a win-win for everybody.

It will give the Bears every thing they declare to need. It will give Mayor Johnson and Gov. Pritzker a option to preserve the Bears in Chicago. It will remodel the far South Aspect. It will create hundreds of 365-day-a-year jobs in any respect talent ranges. It will spend money on individuals. It will tackle the excessive degree of unemployment and lack of alternative in a disinvested a part of the town. It will be a deterrent to crime. It will present a wanted tax base. It will generate a number of income streams. Final, it could present part of the town that’s been forgotten that we see you, we worth you and we’re going to accomplice with you to enhance your high quality of life for generations.

I don’t know if Mr. Warren visited the SouthWorks website whereas he was touring Chicagoland appropriate places for the brand new Bears stadium, however I need to invite him to broaden his search to incorporate the South Aspect of Chicago. If the self-described “stadium nerd” desires to make an impression with ramifications that reach past making the McCaskey Household wealthy, then the SouthWorks website is the location that works.

Chicago claims to be the town that works. Now could be the time to show it by scoring a win that soccer followers and non-football followers can rejoice.