Illinois Lawmaker Targets Chicago Bears’ Stadium Move

The Chicago Bears’ push for a taxpayer-assisted stadium in Arlington Heights is running into sustained headwinds in Springfield.

A proposal from state Rep. Kam Buckner, D-Chicago, would require public review, economic reporting and potential repayment of subsidies for any major stadium deal — a move aimed squarely at the Bears’ $5 billion plan for a domed stadium and mixed-use campus on the site of the former Arlington International Racecourse, Crain’s reported.

The measure would mandate that any local or state agreement offering financial incentives for a professional sports venue be posted publicly for 30 days, followed by at least two public hearings and an independent cost-benefit study from the state’s Commission on Government Forecasting & Accountability.

The Bears would need to file annual reports on job creation and tax revenue, and if they relocate before the deal expires, they’d have to repay subsidies with interest and make local schools, libraries and public safety agencies whole for lost property-tax revenue.

Buckner, one of the Bears’ most vocal critics in the legislature, said his proposal is designed to prevent fast-tracked stadium legislation.

“We have an opportunity to change the way we do stadium financing in this state for the long term,” Buckner told the outlet.

The Bears are lobbying lawmakers during the General Assembly’s fall veto session for approval to negotiate a long-term property tax break via “mega project” legislation.

That plan would allow developers investing at least $500 million to freeze property taxes for decades, paying instead through negotiated payments in lieu of taxes. The team argues such certainty is vital as construction costs rise by roughly $10 million a month.

Despite pledging to privately finance the stadium, the team has sought roughly $855 million in infrastructure support for roads, transit and utilities connecting the 326-acre site to surrounding suburbs.

The proposal has drawn little enthusiasm in Springfield, where Governor JB Pritzker has said the Bears should pay the $534 million still owed on Soldier Field’s 2003 renovation before seeking new public assistance.

Buckner conceded his bill is unlikely to pass during this veto session but said he hopes it sparks a broader debate about accountability in public-private stadium deals.

“Teams pit cities and states against each other,” he said. “They make a deal today, then a decade later, they leave — and taxpayers are left holding the bag.”

— Eric Weilbacher