CHICAGO — The Chicago Bears recently submitted a bid to purchase the property at Arlington International Racecourse, news team president and CEO Ted Phillips publicly announced Thursday afternoon.
Churchill Downs, which currently owns and operates the racetrack, announced this past winter that the property would be up for sale for redevelopment opportunities. And the Bears have now expressed at least preliminary interest in building a stadium and developing the land around it.
The horse track is in its final year of operation under Churchill Downs.
“I’m disappointed,” track president Tony Petrillo said earlier this spring. “But I also understand the economics of it.”
The Bears have played their home games at Soldier Field since 1971 and their current lease at the stadium runs through 2033.
Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot previously threw cold water on the idea the Bears might move to Arlington Heights, saying she’s seen reports in the media but the team has a lease until 2033.
The NFL doesn’t let teams break their leases and they have a good relationship with the city, Lightfoot said in April.
“It’s a great iconic site but it’s a challenging site,” Lightfoot said. The city wants to help the team “maximize revenue,” Lightfoot said.
———
The Chicago Tribune’s Greg Pratt contributed to this story
