Chicago Bears. (Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images)
The Chicago Bears are one step closer towards possibly relocating to one of the city’s suburbs.
With their latest real estate bid, the Chicago Bears are creeping ever closer to leaving Soldier Field behind for a new start out in the Chicago suburbs.
Bears president and CEO Ted Phillips released a statement on Thursday about the team recently submitting a bid to purchase the Arlington International Racecourse property. This horse race track is in the Chicago suburb of Arlington Heights. Naturally, all signs of the Bears submitting a bid to purchase property suggest the Chicago professional team will likely head to the suburbs.
Why would the Bears even want to leave their home of the last 50-plus years in Soldier Field?
The Chicago Bears are looking at potentially relocating to the suburbs
Though the Bears have played at Soldier Field all but one season since 1970, they do not own the stadium, as it is property of the Chicago Park District. Not only is it the oldest stadium in the NFL, but it also has the smallest capacity in the league at 61,500. Soldier Field is notorious for its awful sight lines, as well as being incredibly difficult to get to with it being a downtown stadium and all.
By potentially moving the suburbs, the Bears would own finally own their stadium, as well as the surrounding land to build even more revenue sources. As long as there is public transit access to the proposed new stadium site, it should not be a major issue. Land would be cheaper in the suburbs, as well as having enough space for public parking and other surrounding developments.
With a move to the suburbs looming, the Bears could be able to reclaim a competitive advantage.