Bears Reportedly Near Illinois Stadium Deal, Arlington Heights Leads

The Chicago Bears are reportedly close to a deal that could keep the team in Illinois, with Arlington Heights emerging as the most likely site for a new stadium. The arrangement is not final, and revisions to proposed state legislation remain unresolved, according to reporting attributed to Greg Hinz of Crain’s Chicago Business. Illinois lawmakers could consider a stadium-authority measure as soon as November. The proposal would allow a municipality to establish an authority to own and operate a stadium or other major project, potentially providing the team with property-tax certainty. The measure would need further legislative action, and reports say revisions are still being discussed. No final agreement or formal Bears commitment to an Illinois location has been announced. The Arlington Heights site, which the Bears purchased for a potential stadium, is the leading option in the reported deal. It would keep the franchise in Illinois rather than at the Hammond, Indiana, location the team had previously described as its focus. Bears President and CEO Kevin Warren said in August that the team was focused on Indiana after negotiations over taxation in Illinois had stalled. A...