Bears purchase Arlington Park, take big step toward leaving Soldier Field

The Chicago Bears have made a purchase that could lead to the team leaving the historic Soldier Field behind.

The Chicago Bears could be moving out of the city and Soldier Field.

Tuesday evening, Scott Powers of The Athletic broke the news that the Chicago Bears signed a purchase agreement for an Arlington Park property. On Wednesday morning, the Bears released a statement confirming.

“We are excited to have executed a Purchase and Sale Agreement (PSA) for the Arlington Park property,” said Bears President and CEO Ted Phillips. “We are grateful to Churchill Downs Incorporated for their efforts to reach this point. We also appreciate the support of Mayor Tom Hayes and the Village of Arlington Heights. Finalizing the PSA was the critical next step in continuing our exploration of the property and its potential. Much work remains to be completed, including working closely with the Village of Arlington Heights and surrounding communities, before we can close on this transaction. Our goal is to chart a path forward that allows our team to thrive on the field, Chicagoland to prosper from this endeavor, and the Bears organization to be ensured a strong future. We will never stop working toward delivering Bears fans the very best experience. We will continue to provide updates on our progress at the appropriate time.”

Chicago Bears purchase Arlington Park property

The Arlington Park property is a 326-acre former horse race track located in Arlington Heights. The property is about 30 miles northwest of Chicago.

This purchase gives the Bears the opportunity to further explore the possibility of relocating their home stadium. Moving to this location will take the team’s games out of the core of Chicago but will allow the franchise to build large state-of-the-art facilities.

Chicago Bears relationship with Soldier Field

The Bears have been limited in what they can and can’t do with the historic Soldier Field. The field is owned by the Chicago Park District and it has long been reported that there is tension between the Bears franchise and the Park District.

Despite the Bears’ very public exploration, Chicago’s Mayor Lori Lightfoot has reaffirmed her goal to keep the team in Chicago and feels that many of the Arlington moves are being used as a negotiation tactic between the team and the city of Chicago.

If the Chicago Bears are actually to relocate it won’t happen anytime soon. In addition to having to finalize purchases and building a new property, the Bears are in a lease with Soldier Field until 2033. Any attempts to leave earlier will involve a massive buyout.