CHICAGO — There is another community in the Chicagoland area that is making their “Hail Mary” pitch to be the home of a potential Bears’ new stadium.
It’s the second south suburb to put their hat in the ring in 2023.
Per a news release, Cook County Commissioner Monica Gordon is asking the NFL team to consider Country Club Hills as a place to build their new stadium. This comes after the Bears said in June that Arlington Park, which they purchased in February, is no longer a “singular focus” for a new stadium.
Gordon sent the letter to Bears owner Virginia McCaskey along with President and CEO Kevin Warren, asking them to consider building the stadium in the south suburb which is located 25 miles south of downtown Chicago.
In the letter, Gordon touts Country Club Hills’ proximity to three major highways, the Metra electric line, and the State of Indiana as reasons to build the stadium there.
The city becomes the fifth to make contact with the Bears, either through a call, meeting, or letter about being a possible home for a new stadium.
Here is the full text of the news release, which was sent by The Publicity Works.
South Suburban Elected Officials Throw Hail Mary Pass at the Chicago Bears
This week the Chicago Bears is celebrating its first win at Soldier Field in 392 days. Since football season began, we have heard very little about a new stadium for the Chicago Bears. The last word on the subject had the team’s president and CEO, Kevin Warren, last month announcing, “The Chicago Bears will not push for a state law granting the team a long-term property tax break for a new stadium this legislative session in Springfield.” Instead, they want to explore all opportunities for developing a world class stadium.
In September, I sent a letter to Chicago Bears’ matriarch, Virginia McCaskey, and Warren inviting them to consider a site in Country Club Hills in the south suburbs. Country Club Hills’ strategic location near three major highways, the Metra Electric line and the Indiana border gives the Bears the opportunity to develop a world class stadium and experience that management purports to want for the team’s future growth.
Country Club Hills Mayor James Ford and I also are imploring the team to look at the south suburbs as an opportunity to have a positive economic impact on a part of the Chicagoland area that is ignored all too often. We know the Bears chose Warren because of his success building U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis. After 50 seasons at Soldier Field, we and other south suburban elected officials are asking Warren and McCaskey to look to Inglewood in Los Angeles as a roadmap for transforming a predominantly Black area into a thriving residential, business and entertainment district that will build generational wealth not only for the Bears, but families throughout the Chicago Southland.
While Bears fans are celebrating the team’s first win at home in more than a year, I want to remind the team that it has the power to score another touchdown outside the stadium at a new home in the south suburbs.
