One component of the stadium Bears President and CEO Kevin Warren revealed was a “fixed, rather than retractable, roof"Getty Images
Bears President and CEO Kevin Warren wants to have an answer for a new stadium “by the end of the year,” according to Tarsitano & Payton of WGNTV.com. Warren said, “The timeline has to be in 2024. In a perfect world, I would like to have clarity in this legislative session that is coming up.” He added, “It takes probably three years once you put a shovel in the ground. ’24 should be the focal point. This is the year.” A recent Crain’s Chicago Business report indicated that staying on the lakefront “is the Bears new goal.” Tarsitano & Payton noted Warren “didn’t confirm it,” but he did offer up these thoughts: “If we’re fortunate enough -- if we’re able to stay in Chicago -- I would just say, we need to make sure it’s close to the lakefront because I think that’s what brings it all together.” One component of the stadium Warren revealed in a letter to season ticket holders was a “fixed, rather than retractable, roof.” Warren: “Because I am budget-conscious and want to make sure that we’re prudent with our resources and our dollars, from a financial standpoint a retractable roof would be nice to have, but I want to make sure that we use those dollars on the surrounding areas or for fan amenities that they would be able to enjoy” (WGNTV.com, 2/14).
CHICAGO HOLD ’EM: In Chicago, Marc Silverman wrote the Halas and McCaskey family “have been smitten with building a home in Arlington Heights for decades” and it "appeared to finally come together after they purchased the Arlington Park racetrack site and demolished the facility last summer.” But Silverman wrote things “just don’t go as planned.” He noted there was a change in leadership in Chicago with Mayor Brandon Johnson to “help lure the Bears back to the city.” While the game “is the thing for the team, it isn’t the only thing for the fans.” Silverman: “I hope the entire game-day experience is taken into account if they choose to stay on the lakefront.” He wrote he “was excited about the possibilities of Arlington Heights.” Silverman: “Not because I wanted the Bears to leave the city or because I’m pro suburbs, but because it gave the Bears the space to do whatever they wanted. … Don’t let history repeat itself. Do. Not. Settle” (Chicago DAILY HERALD, 2/15).
