Roger Goodell says Bears 'have to explore' new stadium originally appeared on NBC Sports Chicago
The Bears agreed to purchase the land in Arlington Heights with hopes of constructing a new stadium and surrounding area for the organization to call their own in the future. And the NFL's commissioner, Roger Goodell, agrees with the Bears' tenuous venture.
"Those are things the Bears have to explore. The stadium is a big part of that," Goodell said to Aaron Wilson.
The Bears placed a bid on Arlington Park and won the purchasing rights in September. They officially closed on the land on Feb 14. In between that time, they held a community meeting and drew up designs for the surrounding area. They're still deciding how they want to attack the land, but it's officially theirs.
Right now, the Bears rent from Soldier Field to play there. If and when they build a new stadium, it will be theirs and they can collect the profits outright. They currently split revenue from their games with the city of Chicago, since the stadium is owned by the park district.
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Another pro to having the stadium is the surrounding land. The Bears already drew up plans of building commodities around the stadium to prepare for a large population near gameday. Restaurants, hotels, offices, gyms, etc. are all included in the Bears' construction plans for the surrounding area.
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While the Bears awaited the finalization of their purchase agreement on the land, the city of Chicago made several public attempts at keeping the Bears at Solider Field. Former Mayor Lori Lightfoot proposed the city find the funds to build a dome over Soldier Field to make the venue a year-round space.
The Bears weren't allowed to speak to any other parties about other stadium ventures, besides that of Arlington Park, and they declined all propositions from the city. It seems the Bears will break ground in Arlington Heights at some point. For now, there is no timeline for the stadium's construction.
But, the commissioner believes the Bears are heading down the right path for their organization.
