Chicago Bears' stadium saga continues: Arlington Heights back in play

Catch up quick: The Bears first showed interest in moving to Arlington Heights in 2022 when they bought the old Arlington Park racetrack.

• But they fought with the village over taxes, and then hired Kevin Warren as president, who signaled the team wanted to stay in Chicago.

Yes, but: The Bears want nearly $2 billion from the state to help finance a new stadium just south of Soldier Field. Gov. JB Pritzker and state lawmakers have thrown cold water on public financing.

The intrigue: Since then, the tax fight over the Arlington Park land has been resolved and the Bears just announced they are doing two studies on the site's viability, while the Arlington Heights board just voted to hire a firm to analyze the studies.

• If the Bears build a new stadium on that site, it would include a new entertainment district featuring restaurants and hotels, something the team couldn't build on the Museum Campus.
• But fans may not be as excited about traveling 30 miles northwest of downtown while giving up the amazing skyline views and nearby shopping and restaurants that make Soldier Field one of the best locations in the NFL.

Reality check: It's unclear if the Bears build in Arlington Heights if they will ask the state for public financing, again.

• The team could decide to privately fund the new stadium and the surrounding entertainment district, especially if the village can deliver tax breaks.
• Privately funded stadiums are rare, but there are examples, including SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles.

The bottom line: Watch out for those tolls … the stadium saga takes yet another turn.