Lead: On Sept. 8, 2025, during the Bears’ home opener at Soldier Field, President & CEO Kevin Warren described a renewed momentum around the team and its fans. In an open letter released 100 days later, Warren reiterated the organization’s plan to pursue a new, world-class stadium and confirmed Arlington Heights remains the only Cook County site that meets their requirements. He said the club is prepared to invest more than $2 billion and has not asked for state taxpayer funds to build the stadium, but requested infrastructure commitments and property-tax certainty to secure financing. After reporting a lack of legislative partnership and being told the project would not be prioritized in 2026, the Bears said they will expand their search to include the wider Chicagoland region, including Northwest Indiana.
Key Takeaways
- The open letter was dated 100 days after the Sept. 8, 2025 home opener and frames the club’s stadium plans as urgent and ongoing.
- The Bears say Arlington Heights is the only Cook County site that meets the requirements for a world-class NFL stadium.
- The club plans to invest more than $2 billion of private capital and states it has not requested state taxpayer dollars for construction.
- Requested public support was limited to local infrastructure (roads, utilities, site work) and reasonable property-tax certainty to help secure financing.
- The team reports winning five of six home games this season and highlights strong fan support at Soldier Field in record-cold conditions.
- Bears leaders say they were told the project will not be a state priority in 2026, prompting a geographic expansion of the site search, including Northwest Indiana.
- The organization emphasizes its century-plus ties to Chicago while saying it must keep all credible pathways open to deliver a new stadium.
Background
The Chicago Bears, a founding NFL franchise that has played in Chicago for more than a century, currently host home games at Soldier Field, which the club describes as the league’s oldest and smallest stadium. For several years the franchise has explored options for a replacement venue that would provide modern amenities, a fixed roof for year-round events, and improved revenue streams. Arlington Heights—adjacent to the former Arlington Park site—was identified by the team earlier in the season as the only Cook County location that satisfies their technical, logistical and scale requirements.
Large stadium projects typically involve a combination of private financing, local infrastructure work and public policy measures that can include tax or financing certainty to attract capital markets. The Bears say they are prepared to supply the bulk of project capital—more than $2 billion—while asking state leaders specifically for road, utility and site improvements and property-tax rules that would reduce financing risk. Those asks fall short of direct construction funding, according to the franchise.
Main Event
In the open letter, Warren thanked fans for strong attendance and support during the season and framed the stadium effort as part of a broader push to build a championship organization. He reiterated the franchise’s prior conclusion that Arlington Heights is the only viable Cook County site and described years of evaluation and engagement with Illinois leaders. The club says it followed state guidance but did not secure a legislative partnership or the policy certainty it sought.
Warren spelled out the Bears’ public requests: infrastructure commitments for roads, utilities and site work, and reasonable property-tax certainty to underpin financing. The team says it did not request state taxpayer dollars for construction itself. According to the letter, state leadership communicated that the project would not be a priority in 2026, a message the franchise says undermines the stable timelines and predictability needed for a project of this scale.
As a result, the Bears announced they will widen their venue search beyond Arlington Heights and Cook County to include other credible options across Chicagoland, explicitly citing Northwest Indiana. The organization emphasized that this expansion is not intended as leverage but as a practical step after years of site analysis and effort to remain within Cook County.
Analysis & Implications
Economically, a new stadium with a fixed roof could change the region’s event calendar, enabling year-round concerts, conventions and sporting events that Soldier Field cannot accommodate consistently. The Bears argue such a venue would generate long-term revenue for the state and create employment opportunities tied to construction and operations; the club framed these as “thousands of union jobs,” a common estimate for large stadium projects though precise numbers depend on final design and contracts.
Politically, the franchise’s disclosure that it was told the project will not be a 2026 priority raises questions about timing and legislative appetite. Large infrastructure and tax-related commitments typically require negotiation, coalition-building and, often, multi-year legislative planning. Without a predictable timeline, private financiers and contractors face higher perceived risk, increasing the importance of the property-tax certainty the team requested.
Competitively, expanding the search to include Northwest Indiana introduces an inter-jurisdictional dynamic: neighboring states often use tax incentives, infrastructure packages, or expedited permitting to attract large projects. That can intensify negotiations and shift leverage from one government to another. For fans and civic leaders, the prospect of a franchise exploring options outside Cook County may increase pressure on Illinois officials but also raises public debate about the appropriate level of public support for stadium projects.
Comparison & Data
| Metric | Reported/current | Proposal/target |
|---|---|---|
| Private capital pledged | — | >$2 billion (team states) |
| State taxpayer construction funding | Not requested (team) | Not requested (team) |
| Public support requested | Infrastructure & property-tax certainty | Roads, utilities, site work; tax certainty for financing |
| Home game performance (season) | 5 wins in 6 home games | — |
| Key date | Sept 8, 2025 home opener | Project timeline unclear; not prioritized in 2026 (team claims) |
The table summarizes claims from the Bears’ letter: the team emphasizes private investment and limited public asks focused on infrastructure and tax certainty. Quantifying job creation, tax revenue and long-term fiscal impact requires a formal economic impact study tied to a specific site and stadium design.
Reactions & Quotes
Official statement (club):
“We have not asked for state taxpayer dollars to build the stadium at Arlington Park.”
Kevin Warren / Chicago Bears (official letter)
Official rationale (club):
“We need to expand our search and critically evaluate opportunities throughout the wider Chicagoland region, including Northwest Indiana.”
Kevin Warren / Chicago Bears (official letter)
Public and expert reaction is likely to split along familiar lines: civic leaders and union representatives may emphasize jobs and economic opportunity, while fiscal watchdogs and some legislators may press for a rigorous cost-benefit analysis and firm guarantees that public investments will deliver net public value. Local media and fan communities have already begun debating potential trade-offs between retaining the team in Cook County and maximizing public benefit.
Unconfirmed
- Exact job numbers tied to the proposed stadium remain unspecified and will depend on final design and contracting; the term “thousands of union jobs” is a general projection rather than a verified tally.
- Specific legislative proposals or bill language to provide the property-tax certainty requested have not been publicly released; negotiations and formal filings have not been confirmed in the letter.
- Any alternative sites in Northwest Indiana or elsewhere under active consideration have not been named or detailed by the Bears in the letter.
Bottom Line
The Bears have reiterated a long-standing objective: a new, modern stadium to match the franchise’s aspirations and to unlock year-round economic activity. The club emphasizes a predominantly private funding model (more than $2 billion) while seeking targeted public support for infrastructure and tax stability to enable financing.
Because the team says state leadership will not prioritize the project in 2026, the Bears are widening their search beyond Arlington Heights, signaling that Illinois officials face a decision with economic, political and reputational stakes. Moving forward, clear timelines, transparent fiscal analysis, and open negotiations will be essential for any jurisdiction that seeks to host the stadium.