Aurora joins others suburbs trying to lure Bears from Chicago

Add Aurora to the growing list of suburbs that have invited the Chicago Bears to consider as part of the NFL franchise’s relocation plans.

Aurora officials said they sent a letter touting the state’s second-largest city as a destination for the Bears to build a new stadium, joining Arlington Heights, Naperville and Waukegan.

“Upon receipt of the letter, representatives of the Chicago Bears organization responded quickly and positively,” according to an Aurora news release.

The Bears finalized the purchase of the former Arlington International Racecourse in Arlington Heights earlier this year for $197 million. The site remains the front-runner for the Bears relocation plans from downtown Chicago, where they currently play in a stadium that holds the fewest number of fans in the NFL.

In recent months, however, officials in other suburbs have suggested their towns might be a better fit as team leaders haggle with village and school district officials about the former horse-racing track’s property taxes. The Bears have begun demolition of Arlington Park and are seeking the property tax bill reduced to $4.3 million, while school district officials have recommended $7.9 million.

Bears President and CEO Kevin Warren met with Arlington Heights officials and residents earlier this week to discuss the impasse and mentioned that he had been contacted by officials from an undisclosed suburb as he was driving to the meeting.

Weeks ago, Naperville officials met with Bears leaders to discuss the possibility of a move there and in the wake of those discussions, Waukegan officials offered up their town as a possible relocation site as well.

In the letter Aurora Mayor Richard Irvin sent to the Bears, he and other city officials touted plans to relocate Hollywood Casino, the redevelopment of the Fox Valley Mall, construction of the newest Del Webb retirement community and “downtown reinvestments” that will add 500 new residential units and 10,000-square-feet of new retail space.

City officials also promoted its transportation access, noting its proximity to airports, Interstate 88 and the busy BNSF Metra line that has two stops in town.

Bears officials have not acknowledged any plans to meet with Aurora officials to discuss the team’s relocation plans.

https://www.dailyherald.com/news/20230628/aurora-joins-others-suburbs-trying-to-lure-bears-from-chicago