They never asked Illinois to build them a stadium. Not even close.
Chicago Bears bought Arlington Heights track only to build in Indiana?
- Thread starter JP4CY
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A Chicago sports radio station today was parsing the statement from the Bears, particularly with the comment that the new stadium “will connect NW Indiana with the Loop”. They laughed and noted the only major road connecting the proposed site was a toll road, run by a foreign country and carrying the most expensive tolls in the region.
FINALLY someone on this site who actually understands what the Bears asked for.Didn't the Bears already say they were paying for the full cost of the Stadium to be built in Illinois? They want the road infrastructure paid for and then the property tax certainty. There isn't a team or business going to pay 50 million a year in property taxes. Highest NFL team right now is the Rams and its 14.3 million.
"Based on current property tax rates in Arlington Heights, the team would pay about $53.2 million annually without tax breaks."
Report shows how much Bears could pay in Arlington Heights property taxes
Editor's note: This story was updated with a statement from the governor. SZALINSKI’S SUMMARY: The Chicago Bears could receive acapitolnewsillinois.com
Illinois moronic politicians are trying to make the Bears the only team in the NFL that would have to build a stadium without any property tax certainty. No wonder so many
marquee businesses have left the state over the last several years.
Millionaires working for Billionaires and they all think they need the taxpayers to pay for their office they use a few times a yr. So glad Iowa doesn't have to support pro sports.
Edit: I think the state or polk Co gave some money to Krause to build his soccer stadium.
Edit: I think the state or polk Co gave some money to Krause to build his soccer stadium.
Good for Illinois for not caving to the stadium grift that’s dominated last 40 years
Even better, the Bears aren’t even leaving. They’re closer to Chicago and getting another state to pay for it
AH was Bears preferred location. You have to laugh at how badly the Bears played this.
They wanted almost a billion in funding, plus tax breaks.
They asked for almost a billion of tax payer money. You’re acting like they didn’t ask for anything.
Which was doable politically, even though Chicago was upset the State was helping one jurisdiction take from another.
But then Warren absolutely fumbled things
.
They asked for infrastructure to be built around the site. Should the Bears pay for all the roads, highways, exits, public transportation, etc.? That’s what they asked for. I guarantee you the unions are up in arms over potentially losing this massive project to Indiana. Plus, I’m sure a stadium in Arlington Heights would generate a lot of ongoing tourism revenue.
Study after study shows the subsidies don't pay off for the taxpayers.
I agree about the stadium grift being ridiculous.
If I had to put money on it, I bet the Bears want to be in Illinois so bad that they would be willing to accept tax certainty and a little infrastructure support to stay. But the fact that they can’t even get the tax certainty is absurd. No large business would commit to moving to a new location without tax certainty.
They weren’t just asking for funding for infrastructure but glad you’ll just gloss over the fact that the bears did ask for almost a billion dollars in tax payer money.
My point was that the post I was replying to is acting like the bears weren’t asking for anything.
And nevermind the fact that almost every time a team, a stadium, or development project around stadiums are subsidized by tax payers they become sunk costs and don’t net a positive ROI.
Of course they asked for that. Asking for infrastructure support is perfectly reasonable in these types of situations. As is asking for tax certainty for a certain period of time when you’re making a massive investment into a specific area that’s going to create thousands of jobs.
It’s not like the McCaskey family’s finances are an open book, but it’s widely accepted that the Bears are their family business and it’s not like the family has made billions of dollars from other business ventures like many other owners have. At this point, I completely understand if they want to leave the state. They don’t have the money that Stan Kroenke has, and even he got $100 million in infrastructure support from Los Angeles, a cap on taxes, and he’s asking for another $400 million yet today.
That’s fine if the state of Illinois and Illinois politicians don’t want the Bears anymore. But history tells us what they’re asking for is reasonable by NFL standards.
And the tax payers should stand up against having to subsidize teams and stadiums. Because there is not a positive ROI.
Here are a few interesting little tidbits from my perspective:
The 1986 Era Bears practiced in the old Halas Hall in Lake Forest, Illinois. 36 miles north of Soldier Field. I lived a block away from the old Halas Hall from 1986 to 1990.
And for those of you who don't think there is much difference between Arlington Heights and Hammond are telling us that you have never been to Hammond, Indiana.
For those who drive the "Chicago Skyway" between Chicago and Indiana, take note that **** Butkus went to the Chicago Vocational High School that you drive past.
The 1986 Era Bears practiced in the old Halas Hall in Lake Forest, Illinois. 36 miles north of Soldier Field. I lived a block away from the old Halas Hall from 1986 to 1990.
And for those of you who don't think there is much difference between Arlington Heights and Hammond are telling us that you have never been to Hammond, Indiana.
For those who drive the "Chicago Skyway" between Chicago and Indiana, take note that **** Butkus went to the Chicago Vocational High School that you drive past.
Naturally.
My point was even though the Bears were indeed asking for benefits, it could have been accomplished. Despite it being a political challenge not common to these situations. Warren pushing a site better for Chicago than AH is, made this very difficult
Blaming Illinois is lazy imo
W
Went down a reddit post and something I hadn't thought of is how good an Indiana site would be for the Fertitta family (huge Houston Cougars donors) because of the casinos they have along the Indiana shoreline. Apparently not much to them right now other than being a huge riverboat but the potential is massive for them.
Something that we havent read/talked about much is the potential windfall Notre Dame will get from this too if there are significant improvements to that area (airport, hotels, mass transit). They'll reastically be almost as close as Northwestern travel time wise.
Something that we havent read/talked about much is the potential windfall Notre Dame will get from this too if there are significant improvements to that area (airport, hotels, mass transit). They'll reastically be almost as close as Northwestern travel time wise.
Northwestern to Hammond is 37 miles, but through heavy Chicago traffic that is easily a 90+ minute drive on an ordinary traffic day.
Notre Dame to Hammond is 76 miles, but also 90 minutes on a ordinary traffic day.
Purdue to Hammond is 101 miles, but could be only 90 minutes on a great traffic day.
