Asked about stadium plans, Bears CEO Kevin Warren extols virtues of downtown Chicago
CHICAGO (CBS) -- As plans and a site for a possible new Chicago Bears stadium remain up in the air, Chief Executive Officer Kevin Warren on Wednesday said he believes the team could "build something that would be magnificent downtown."
The Bears closed on the purchase of the Arlington International Racecourse property in Arlington Heights in February of last year. Demolition of the former racecourse grandstand and other structures was completed in October.
The closing came two years after the team agreed to purchase the Arlington racetrack property for $197 million – after which the plan for a new stadium in Arlington Heights, while always characterized as far from final, was sounding like all but a done deal but for some formalities.
In January of last year, Warren made it clear that he was ready to lead the team's move out of the Chicago and into a new stadium in Arlington Heights. He said at that time that the Bears' sole focus for a new stadium was the Arlington Heights site, and they are not considering any options to stay at Soldier Field, the smallest stadium in the NFL.
But by June of last year, Warren was calling the plan to move to Arlington Heights a "stalemate." And at a news conference Wednesday, he emphasized the focus as being on getting a plan for a new stadium right – regardless of where it ends up being built.
"Priority is to make sure that we build a world-class stadium for our fans. So we still own the property in Arlington Heights. I believe we're still in communication with individuals in Arlington Heights. We have had meetings with individuals in the City of Chicago," Warren said. "So, we're focused on, again, back to making sure you take the approach of doing the right thing, is that we want to make sure that—that stadium is a –that's a 40-year decision, and we need to make sure that we get that right and that we're very deliberate in our thought process."
Warren characterized this not as a "pivot," as one reporter suggested, but a representation of the need to keep options open.
He also extolled the virtues of the city of Chicago, and the possibilities of a new stadium in the downtown area.
"What intrigues me about downtown is I strongly believe Chicago is finest city in all of the world. I mean, very rarely do you get an opportunity to have such a beautiful downtown, with a vibrant business community, with an absolutely beautiful lake, and the energy that goes along – and so I always focus on, you know, what's a way that we could, you know, bring together the beauty of the lake, the beauty of downtown, the business community, all the art exhibits – to bring that together for an environment?" Warren said. "Because it is always about the fans – how we can create an environment that they really enjoy? And not only on our game days, but also from art, from food, just from music."
Warren also pointed out that he himself lives downtown, and loves the city.
"And so it has many pluses – and so I'm just a big proponent of Chicagoland area. I'm a big proponent of Arlington Heights," he said. "But something that's really special about downtown Chicago.
Warren further added that many markets do not have options such that a choice between a new stadium in the city of Chicago or Arlington Heights would even be possible.
"We have very good choices here," Warren said. "But again, I think – and sometime I think, when you recognize when travel away from Chicago, you can take step back to realize that we are fortunate to have Chicago that is such a special place – and so I want to make sure that wherever we build our stadium, we do it in a manner that pull our fans together, that we can create experiences that they'll remember for multiple generations."
Warren was asked if the Bears could build the same project downtown as they have had in mind for Arlington Heights. He said the team would have more options for what to build on the 326-acre Arlington Heights property, but cited U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis as an environment that provides a top-rated fan experience on a comparatively small footprint.
"And so yes, there are things in an environment downtown that you can create that you don't have in the suburbs, or things in suburbs that you can create that you don't have downtown," Warren said. "And so I'm one of those individuals that not only look at life as a glass as half-full – I look at the glass as full and as pouring over. There are so many things that we can do together, so absolutely, we can build something that would be magnificent downtown."
Last month, reports surfaced that the Bears could be looking to build a new stadium on the site of the south lot of Soldier Field. The area was once considered the location of the Lucas Museum – before the "Star Wars" creator moved the project to Los Angeles following a court challenge by the advocacy group Friends of the Parks.
When asked what "intrigued" him about the south parking lot, Warren said, "It's not necessarily the south lot," before explaining how he was intrigued by the idea of a new stadium downtown.
Naperville and Waukegan last summer also entered the discussion on housing the new stadium. The Bears last year with officials from Naperville to discuss their pitch for a possible stadium. Meantime, leaders in Rockford and Aurora also threw their hats in the ring.
Following the Bears' initial announcement of plans to purchase the Arlington racetrack property, then-Mayor Lori Lightfoot repeatedly expressed a desire to keep the Bears at Soldier Field. In July 2022, the Chicago Park District officials unveiled options for renovating Soldier Field, including a possible dome over the lakefront arena.
In January 2023, these plans were carried further as Landmark Development released a virtual tour of a revamped Soldier Field. The proposal centers on a brand-new glass dome that would shield the interior from the elements and potentially draw interest from a wide variety of partners.
The idea of staying at Soldier Field was not something addressed on Wednesday.
Mayor Brandon Johnson has also expressed a desire to keep the Bears in the city of Chicago.
Meanwhile, much as it objected to the Lucas Museum, Friends of the Parks has taken issue with the idea of a new Bears stadium on the site of a Soldier Field parking lot too.
