After Illinois lawmakers missed out on passing a bill to support the Chicago Bears’ move to Arlington Heights, Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson showed interest in reconsidering the city as the location for a new Bears stadium. Johnson backed a proposal to allow larger municipalities in Cook County, such as Chicago and Arlington Heights, to establish a stadium authority. This setup would enable the Bears to finance the stadium construction while ensuring it remains publicly owned, thus bypassing property tax obligations.
State Sen. Bill Cunningham received congratulations from Illinois Senate President Don Harmon after a bill was passed during the final moments of the spring legislative session, aiming to keep the Bears’ stadium plans within Illinois. Johnson expressed gratitude to the advocates of the bill, acknowledging the significance of public stadium ownership and advocating for a structure based on a sports authority and public infrastructure investment.
The proposal emerged late in the spring session after an unsuccessful attempt to let major project sponsors like the Bears secure long-term property tax incentives from local authorities. Although the Senate passed the measure in the early hours of Tuesday, the House did not proceed, citing insufficient deliberation time.
Back in 2024, Johnson and the Bears suggested replacing Soldier Field with a new stadium requiring over $1 billion in public borrowing and $1.5 billion for associated infrastructure. This proposal faltered when Governor J.B. Pritzker refused to have taxpayers fund a new stadium for a wealthy team. In 2026, Johnson revisited a city-centric proposal, but Pritzker criticized the absence of a concrete plan. Lawmakers attributed the stall in mega-project legislation partly to Johnson’s involvement.
Johnson’s stance appeared reaffirmed by the Senate’s plan, which resembled the city’s 2024 blueprint that counted on using Chicago’s 2% hotel tax, managed by the Illinois Sports Facilities Authority, for infrastructure funding. This hotel tax, primarily funding Soldier Field’s 2003 renovation, has required additional city funding in recent times. Soldier Field’s publicly owned status exempts it from property taxes.
In Arlington Heights, Mayor Jim Tinaglia expressed dissatisfaction with the recurring legislative failures over Bears-related proposals but maintained commitment to future strategic opportunities. He emphasized engaging with stakeholders to pursue the project’s potential and represent the community’s interests.
Amid fans’ disappointment, especially among Touchdown Arlington supporters, there was frustration over legislative actions or the lack thereof. Ernest Rose of the fan group’s steering committee blamed Springfield for the impasse and raised concerns about the Bears exploring relocation to Indiana.
The Bears had earlier proposed acquiring Arlington International Racecourse and building a stadium there. However, this wasn’t prioritized until Indiana lawmakers hastily arranged a plan for a Hammond stadium. The Bears announced they will conclude evaluations of both Arlington Heights and Hammond by late spring or early summer, urging Chicago lawmakers to propose a deal beneficial both ways.