There have been Bears for more than a century. They plan to spend 100 years in an Arlington Park stadium eventually.
It is becoming increasingly apparent that the team's consideration of leaving its traditional downtown home is more than simply a ruse. It's a strategy. A strategy that advances toward complete execution.
George McCaskey, the team's chairman, gave the Chicago Sun-Times' Patrick Finley his most specific description of a steel-and-cement replacement for Soldier Field a day after the team attended an informational conference about the Arlington Park project.
Regarding the team's previous and present home stadiums, McCaskey noted, "In each of those instances, the venue had been intended and built primarily for other events or another team." "This is our once-in-a-century chance to design it for ourselves."
The Bears have taken over as the central tenant of a structure they don't own, even though the move to Soldier Field in 1971 was only meant to be temporary.
McCaskey said to Finley, "I would equate that to a homeowner who rents for year after year." There are, of course, benefits to that, but there are also some serious drawbacks.
Following a public town hall meeting where the Bears gave the impression that they truly intended to construct their ballpark, McCaskey made his remarks.
According to Jason Lieser of the Sun-Times, team president Ted Phillips stated during the meeting, "We don't have a Plan B." We won't be talking about remodeling Soldier Field or any other alternative locations.
The roof of the new stadium would be fixed and not retractable. While that strategy gives up a significant portion of the Windy City home-field advantage, it broadens the building's potential uses and the number of months during the year it may hold events and generate revenue.
The Bears' lease is valid until 2033. They may, however, depart as early as 2026 by paying $90 million. With each year, it becomes less expensive to break the lease early.
It's still possible that everything is a sham, a negotiation gimmick to secure a better deal at Soldier Field. The more compelling the alternative, as is typically the case, the more potent it can be.
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