Bears To Arlington Heights Talks 'Headed In Right Direction': Mayor

ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, IL — Momentum appears to have shifted back to the former Arlington Park racetrack site as the potential future home of the Chicago Bears. The team said Friday it has made "significant progress" with leaders in Arlington Heights over the last few months.

In February 2023, the Bears closed on a $197.2 million property agreement to buy the 326-acre property that housed the former racetrack.

"[We] look forward to continuing to work with state and local leaders on making a transformative economic development project for the region a reality," Bears brass said in a statement shared with ABC7.

RELATED: Arlington Park Back In Play As Bears Brass Discuss Future Home of Team

Last November, the Bears agreed to pay $3.6 million in property taxes annually at the Arlington Park site. A Memorandum of Understanding was approved in December 2024.

"We have a great working relationship with the team, and I have always believed that the former Arlington Park site is the best location for a new NFL stadium centered development for the entire Chicagoland region," Arlington Heights Mayor Jim Tinaglia said in a statement released to Patch. "While much work remains to ensure that the community's and the team’s goals can be met, we all agree that the discussions are headed in the right direction and we are optimistic for the future of this partnership."

In May 2024, the Bears unveiled plans for a publicly-owned, domed stadium on the Museum Campus in Chicago. The entire stadium project, which would be built near the current site of Solider Field, is estimated to cost $4.6 billion, including $3.2 billion for the stadium itself.

The Village of Arlington Heights said it will continue to work with all stakeholders and "do our due diligence on behalf of our community for this one-of-a-kind opportunity."

At last month's NFL owners meetings, Bears President Kevin Warren said both the plans for Chicago and Arlington Heights remain in play.

"[My predecessors] made a very forward-thinking decision right before I started. That was the piece of paper that was on my desk when I walked in my office in April 2023 [stating] they had purchased 326 acres in Arlington Heights," Warren said during an interview with NFL On NBC. "This land is absolutely beautiful. I mean, it's a great piece of land. And so now the key thing in all these stadium projects is optionality."