Overview

• Team officials and Arlington Heights leaders plan a public presentation of the stadium proposal between September and November, followed by village commission reviews and a board vote that could take months.
• The Bears say they will privately fund stadium construction but need authority from Springfield to negotiate property taxes for up to 40 years to make the deal feasible.
• Action in the October veto session is viewed as unlikely, with lawmakers more likely to take up the property-tax framework in the spring through pending mega-project legislation that could freeze assessments subject to local agreement.
• New renderings depict an enclosed stadium and mixed-use district on the 326-acre Arlington Park site, and the team hopes to break ground by spring if approvals and legislation align.
• The franchise’s lease at Soldier Field runs through 2033 with significant early-exit penalties, and political resistance from Chicago officials continues to influence the timeline and terms.