HR0627 102ND GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR0627 LRB102 24842 ECR 34089 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, Professional sports franchises often relocate to address seating capacity limits, restructure debt, modernize the stadium experience, or to gain full authority over a new stadium; and

WHEREAS, The Chicago Bears professional football team has expressed a willingness to buy property in the Village of Arlington Heights; and

WHEREAS, Chicago Bears fans have also expressed an openness toward the team moving, with a recent informal survey of 6,000 people by Patch.com indicating that over 70 percent of respondents would like to see the team move; and

WHEREAS, The former Arlington Park property presents itself as a fresh development opportunity for the Village of Arlington Heights and the Chicago Bears team; it is conveniently situated off a major highway, just a twenty-minute drive from O'Hare International Airport, and, crucially, it has its own dedicated stop on the Metra commuter rail line; and

WHEREAS, The Chicago Bears' current lease payment to the Chicago Park District is $6.48 million per year, though the team only paid $3.1 million in 2020 after fans were not allowed to attend games because of the COVID-19 pandemic; and

WHEREAS, Taxpayers have covered over $430 million of the Soldier Field renovation project; this is a figure that will balloon substantially before the debt fully matures and is paid off in 2032; and

WHEREAS, The economics of major professional sport leagues have been changing dramatically in recent years; from television and streaming rights to team-sanctioned legalized sports betting, worldwide merchandising deals, and massive media empires, teams have become corporate conglomerates with wide-ranging interests far beyond the stadium; and

WHEREAS, The location of the Chicago Bears team matters much less than their name, which implies that the team is one with Chicago so long as the team keeps its namesake; and

WHEREAS, Moving to a stadium in Arlington Heights presents an economic opportunity for a top-of-the-line stadium featuring a higher capacity and burgeoning entertainment, restaurant, and retail industry; the Arlington Heights location provides easier access via the State's roadways and Metra commuter rail lines; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE HUNDRED SECOND GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we urge the owners of the Chicago Bears organization to reach an agreement that all parties see as equitable and beneficial to move the team to the former Arlington Park property; and be it further

RESOLVED, That the Chicago Bears organization should move to the Arlington Heights location without requesting incentives from local or state government; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be delivered to the Chicago Bears organization, Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot, and Arlington Heights Mayor Tom Hayes.