The timeline for the construction of a new Chicago Bears stadium continues to accelerate, and the mayor of Arlington Heights, IL seems to think a location could be decided upon by the end of March.
Mayor Jim Tinaglia suggested during his “State of the Village” address that he believes the Bears will strike a deal to build their new stadium in Indiana by the end of the month if the Illinois legislature doesn’t nail down a deal with the team.
“Waiting until the end of May, I think, is a no-go for the Bears,” Tinaglia said (via NBC). “They’ve already been through the [wringer] too many times.”
Tinaglia explained that this week is a big one for the team as the Illinois legislature is scheduled to debate tax incentives and other benefits to keep the Bears in Illinois. The Illinois House returns to Springfield on Wednesday for the first time in three weeks.
Previously, a bill advanced out of committee that would allow the Bears to negotiate their property tax payments directly with local governments and school districts for up to 40 years. It has not yet received a vote on the House floor.
“I spend a lot of time talking to those guys (the Bears),” Tinaglia said (via Daily Herald), “and I can tell you that I know they want to come here. They can’t come here unless they get some help from Springfield on this.”
The Indiana legislature and Governor Mike Braun finalized a stadium bill on February 26th to try to lure the Bears to Indiana. The team has made no commitment on doing so as of right now, and they continue to release statements saying they appreciate the plans that Indiana has put forth, as well as acknowledging that the team continues to work with Illinois on a possible deal.
Mayor Tinaglia said that he believes a groundbreaking ceremony could take place as early as this summer in Arlington Heights if the Bears are able to get a deal finalized in Springfield.
