Bears Considering Soldier Field South Lot Property For Dome: Report

CHICAGO — Chicago Bears President and CEO Kevin Warren has said that everything remains on the table in terms of a new stadium for the Bears. That includes the possibility of not moving very far at all from their current home, according to a report.

The Bears are doing “due diligence” on the property that currently houses the South Lot at Soldier Field, according to a report on Wednesday on 670 The Score. The station, citing sources, said that the team is working with an Aurora land surveying company to explore the possibility of building a new domed stadium on the property.

The report said that the Bears are working with Compass Surveying, Ltd., in examining the South Lot property, which currently includes a parking garage as well as a ground-level lot that is used heavily by tailgaters on Bears game days. A message left for Compass Surveying representatives on Wednesday was not immediately returned to Patch on Wednesday.

The report comes as Bears officials have opened the door to moving out of its one-time destination of Arlington Heights, where the team has invested more than $192 million in purchasing the property of the former Arlington Park Racecourse.

However, Warren said at a meeting over the summer that talks with the city had reached a stalemate involving some local issues. That opened the door for the team to begin conversations with some other communities including Naperville, Aurora, Chicago, Waukegan, and others as far as where the Bears could eventually land.

Meanwhile, Arlington Heights Mayor Tom Hayes told Patch previously that he and other city officials believe the city is still the best option to build a new domed stadium and mixed-used development to house major events and concerts in addition to the Bears.

In June, Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson said that the city wanted “a real seat at the table” in discussions with the Bears about keeping the team in the suburbs. Johnson and Warren issued a joint statement in June, saying that they had met over the city being involved in possibly remaining the Bears home after the team moves on from Soldier Field.

“Today we met and discussed our shared values and commitment to the City of Chicago, the importance of deep roots, and the need for equitable community investment throughout the city," the two officials said in a joint statement in June. "We are both committed to the idea that the city and its major civic institutions must grow and evolve together to meet the needs of the future. We look forward to continuing the dialogue around these shared values.”

The Bears have continued to remain steadfast in responding to new stadium location possibilities. The team issued a statement earlier this fall saying that it wants to “explore all opportunities across Chicagoland” where a world-class stadium could be built.