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Bears make offer to buy Arlington Racecourse


malagabears

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Good idea in theory.   Would certainly be better location IMO.

Who knows what it takes to break lease with SF or what pressure politicians can bring to bear.

Also Bears will have to borrow large to refurbish  - but good time to do it with interest rates at all time low. 

They would also want a lot of free money and tax incentives from locals as well.

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1 minute ago, beardown3231 said:

It wouldn't be an offseason without a "Bears should move to the burbs!!" article

Because getting to and from that stadium is a pain and it is exceptionally cold by the Lake in the stands.  

Actually not so bad at field level.

For Wrigley and Sox Stadium whatever it is called now there is an L stop.  

Arlington has a metra stop and can be built with a roof.  

It makes sense.  

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Just now, dll2000 said:

Because getting to and from that stadium is a pain and it is exceptionally cold by the Lake in the stands.  

Actually not so bad at field level.

For Wrigley and Sox Stadium whatever it is called now there is an L stop.  

Arlington has a metra stop and can be built with a roof.  

It makes sense.  

.. there's a metra stop right by Soldier Field.

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17 minutes ago, beardown3231 said:

.. there's a metra stop right by Soldier Field.

Yes, technically, but for most it doesn’t make sense to use it.

If you are coming from burbs you have to take train to Union Station or Ogilivie (the major hubs) and then walk a bit and then take a bus from there and walk some more.   

Arlington has Metra stop that runs from big stations all through burbs and drops you off right at the place.

There is no comparison in convenience for greater number of ticket buying or potential ticket buying people between getting to Arlington and getting to Soldier Field.  

Why is Arlington selling then?  Because horse racing isn’t as popular as football and probably other reasons I don’t know about.  

 

 

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The only thing that makes this option attractive is the metro stop in the parking lot.  But its too small and not enough parking.  Arlington Heights also doesn’t have the best highway access.  Finally the town are Arlington heights sucks. The people are rich jerks and not like north shore or Barrington rich.  They just think they are rich and act like jerks.   I’d rather see the bears move to a Chicago community that could actually use the economic development.  Communities on the west side could really use the help right now not Fn Arlington heights   

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31 minutes ago, 41st ward Chicagoian said:

The only thing that makes this option attractive is the metro stop in the parking lot.  But its too small and not enough parking.  Arlington Heights also doesn’t have the best highway access.  Finally the town are Arlington heights sucks. The people are rich jerks and not like north shore or Barrington rich.  They just think they are rich and act like jerks.   I’d rather see the bears move to a Chicago community that could actually use the economic development.  Communities on the west side could really use the help right now not Fn Arlington heights   

They are a family business that wants to make money and also get as much free stuff and tax incentives as they can, to make more money. 

I don’t think people of Arlington Heights are jerks.  Same general culture as every middle to upper class midwestern suburb. 

Different culture in cities and different in rural areas.  Different in South and West and Northeast.  And different between those places cities and burbs and different in their rural areas as well.  

 

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have people that are posting actually reading the article?

"the lot is too small" --- it's bigger than what the rams/chargers built on

"theres no parking" --- it's big enough to create parking

"it's hard to drive to arlington" --- soldier field is a pain in the *** to get to

"arlington the town sucks" --- so....?

"the city would never approve it" --- because they hate making money?

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47 minutes ago, HuskieBear said:

have people that are posting actually reading the article?

"the lot is too small" --- it's bigger than what the rams/chargers built on

"theres no parking" --- it's big enough to create parking

"it's hard to drive to arlington" --- soldier field is a pain in the *** to get to

"arlington the town sucks" --- so....?

"the city would never approve it" --- because they hate making money?

 

Arlington would approve it in a heartbeat in a vacuum.   How much money they would pony up in incentives is another matter.  

How much politicians would interfere in blocking the move is another matter as well.

I think at time the renovation of SF cost reportedly around 700 million, maybe more.    Conflicting reports on that.   I can recall seeing something that said 800 million plus at one time.  Couldn't find it in a quick search. 

Trib says  state put up 406 million of that in bonds.   NFL put up a ton too under some collective fund.

Bears only put up balance whatever that was.

So they may not be able to leave even if they wanted to depending on whatever contracts and leases they signed under that arrangement.  But Bears family was reportedly so pleased with the arrangement brokered by T. Phillips - well you have seen that they won't fire him for Ws and Ls.    They must have gotten huge bumps in annual money after that deal happened.   

 Worth noting that at around same time they built Miller Park with a retractable roof for $392 million.   If you have ever been to game at Miller Park vs. SF, there is a world of difference in terms of comfort.  Also, Brewers contributed only 90 million.

But I believe they (tax payers) made all their money back plus interest as of last year in sales taxes and lease payments.   I think Wisconsin probably has 1/10th the corruption of Chicago and Illinois though.   Not that they have zero.   Makes a big difference when trying to get things done.  

At SF every seat in which you can watch the game on a TV is filled with someone doing just that rather than sitting in the stadium.   Opposite at Miller Park which is really Wrigley North to be honest - at least when Cubs are playing.  

 

 

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8 hours ago, dll2000 said:

Yes, technically, but for most it doesn’t make sense to use it.

If you are coming from burbs you have to take train to Union Station or Ogilivie (the major hubs) and then walk a bit and then take a bus from there and walk some more.

Arlington has Metra stop that runs from big stations all through burbs and drops you off right at the place.

There is no comparison in convenience for greater number of ticket buying or potential ticket buying people between getting to Arlington and getting to Soldier Field.

Arlington's Metra stop is only served by 1 line. People in the South/West burbs or even on the North Shore would have to take a train all the way downtown just to get to that line.

Getting to Soldier Field is really not that difficult from my experience. You can get a bus from either station to the stadium.

If you want to talk about adding a retractable dome, I'm 100% behind that.

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Biggest reason to consider doing it, is that Chicago could host a super bowl.... And potentially replace their godawful floating sod playing surface and maybe even get an indoor stadium....and yes I know both of those things are considered sacrilege around Chicago, but we could also host things like the scouting combine there. 

 

Biggest reason against it right now, the whole "deadly pandemic... Maybe it's kind of a bad idea to pack 100,000+ people into close proximity right now" thing. 

 

Longer term, I think it'd be a great move. 

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