{"id":412722,"date":"2023-02-17T11:39:27","date_gmt":"2023-02-17T17:39:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/urbanmatter.com\/chicago\/?p=412722"},"modified":"2023-03-01T14:07:30","modified_gmt":"2023-03-01T20:07:30","slug":"its-official-chicago-bears-purchase-arlington-park-for-potential-new-stadium","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/urbanmatter.com\/chicago\/its-official-chicago-bears-purchase-arlington-park-for-potential-new-stadium\/","title":{"rendered":"It’s Official: Chicago Bears Purchase Arlington Park for Potential New Stadium"},"content":{"rendered":"

Another benchmark has been cleared in the ongoing developments of the Chicago Bears<\/a> relocation plans to Arlington Heights. In a statement released by the team on February 15th, the Bears announced that they have officially closed on the property that will be their future stadium on the grounds of the former Arlington Racecourse. They state, decisively, that “…this is only a step in their vision of constructing an enclosed state-of-the-art stadium and multi-purpose entertainment district.”<\/p>\n

While this isn’t confirmation that the Chicago Bears will in fact be moving, it’s a pretty damn good indication that’s where this is heading. There are still plenty of hurdles to clear in a very long and trying process, but this feels like a major step forward and one you do not take unless you have the utmost confidence that this plan will go through.<\/p>\n

This is the second open letter the team has released<\/a>. The first, released last fall, sparked conversation from all sides. Fans found them torn between logic and emotion, with some drawing a hardline in the sand and going as far as saying they’d disown the team entirely if they moved, almost assuming they’d somehow rebrand as the Arlington Heights Bears. Those of logic and reason variety understand that the only way to stay relevant in the modern NFL is to advance your franchise, and to do that your reputation as a franchise is directly tied to the product not only on the field, but the status as a business. The Dallas Cowboys haven’t won a damn thing since Bill Clinton was president but people still turn toward Jerry Jones as the litmus test of the league as a whole. Also, the Dallas Cowboys don’t play in Dallas.<\/p>\n

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A post shared by Chicago Bears (@chicagobears)<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n