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Bears make offer to buy Arlington Racecourse


malagabears

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9 hours ago, JAF-N72EX said:

Absolutely. You have 7 acres of land on a waterfront. Build a large park with; docks, fishing, dog park, cabins, science center, etc. Use the space wisely and build a public place for people to go to.

Way back when Chicago had amazing and beautiful plans for lakefront.  Got derailed by history unfortunately. 

Go look up the designs and drawings.   Running to church so I can’t at moment.  

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On 6/27/2021 at 12:52 AM, JAF-N72EX said:

Absolutely. You have 7 acres of land on a waterfront. Build a large park with; docks, fishing, dog park, cabins, science center, etc. Use the space wisely and build a public place for people to go to.

I bet you could even work that old portico all the history geeks love into some kind of nice garden space.

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14 hours ago, JAF-N72EX said:

Why you gotta put me in a tight spot here? lol

Maybe forgive would be a more possible action? haha

 

I'll likely only go to one game so the stadium doesn't mean anything to me personally. Watching us be mediocre for the majority of my 20+ years as a Bears fan? I'm gonna hold that grudge. 😅

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7 hours ago, Sugashane said:

Maybe forgive would be a more possible action? haha

 

I'll likely only go to one game so the stadium doesn't mean anything to me personally. Watching us be mediocre for the majority of my 20+ years as a Bears fan? I'm gonna hold that grudge. 😅

Yeah, there ya go. That's a much more reasonable and realistic response. It's true, one move isn't going erase everything. That's a long history lol.

I don't go to games either anymore (I'd much rather watch it from the comfort of my own home). It's been years since I've been to Soldier Field, but I still like to see cities prosper and the local citizens benefiting from it in a positive way. Plus, even though moving the stadium wouldn't affect us on a personal level we would still see the benefits paying off as fans via an increase in cap space. Now, how that extra cap space is being allocated can be saved for another topic lol.

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  • 2 months later...
31 minutes ago, CBears019 said:

 

Quote

A spokesperson for the mayor's office said in a statement to The Athletic. "However, just as the Bears view this as a business decision so does the City. This season, Soldier Field signed a major contract with the Chicago Fire and just last weekend Soldier Field hosted the Shamrock Series — both of which are lucrative for the Chicago Park District and local economy.

 

"These examples and others demonstrate that Soldier Field remains a very sought-after venue, and, as the Mayor has said many times, overall, the City and Park District must explore all options to both enhance the visitor and fan experience at Soldier Field year-round and maximize revenues. Therefore, we must do what's in the best economic interests of our taxpayers and maximize the financial benefits at the important asset that is Soldier Field.

Quote

 

The Bears' lease at Soldier Field runs through 2033, but according to the Chicago Tribune, the Bears would have to pay $84 million to the city if they broke the lease in 2026. The financial penalty decreases after 2026.

"($84 million) represents just 3 percent of the $2.2 billion average cost of the league's seven newest stadiums," the report stated.

 

Quote

The Bears have watched as team after team has built immaculate stadiums, and those franchises don't have to share revenue as a tenant in their building. As much as the McCaskeys treasure the tradition of Soldier Field, the NFL is a business, and the Bears are lagging behind the rest of the league when it comes to their stadium and making money off it. This has been inevitable.

DO IT NOW if the district agrees before someone else picks it up as a renovation project. It would be beneficial to all parties involved long term.

If this deal falls through in any way, shape or form then this is yet another reason why Teddy Ruxkin should have be fired years ago.

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4 hours ago, RunningVaccs said:

Wow.  Makes too much sense not to happen but still wild to think about the burbs Bears.  Worst case scenario right now is Lori convinces the Bears to stay, sinks a bunch more money into a stopgap solution, and they're in the same place a decade from now.  Given Lori+Ted I could see it, but hopefully not!

I don’t think Lori could sell water to a person who’s on fire.  And the way she says her “door is always open” to me sounds like she’s done making overtures.  If the bears want to talk they can reach out to her.  Granted it’s politics and big business/negotiations, so everything we hear in the media from either side has some sort of angle to it.

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6 hours ago, RunningVaccs said:

Wow.  Makes too much sense not to happen but still wild to think about the burbs Bears.  Worst case scenario right now is Lori convinces the Bears to stay, sinks a bunch more money into a stopgap solution, and they're in the same place a decade from now.  Given Lori+Ted I could see it, but hopefully not!

There is no way.  Bears are leaving.

Chicago the city is in real trouble.   Crime is off the hook and is approaching 70s levels and seems to be worsening.  Inflation is high (for everyone I know, but Chicago taxes make it worse).  Food prices plus high tax = large part of budget.   Many landlords aren't getting rent.  Covid policy has been hammering restaurants and entertainment venues for two years and bankrupting them left and right.  People have discovered through Covid policies they don't need to commute and cram into expensive commercial property to do their job.    And they have Union contracts and pensions and can't afford to pay without borrowing.

Without good leadership Chicago could quickly become next Detroit.   

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