NEW ORLEANS — The Bears are being “very thoughtful” in weighing whether to build a new stadium downtown or on the land they own in Arlington Heights, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said Monday.
“I think the process they’re going through is very positive,” he said.
Goodell was quick to point out that the Bears have a lease at Soldier Field that runs through 2033. The team could break it earlier.
The Bears have owned a 326-acre plot in Arlington Heights for almost two years now but have said they remain focused on trying to build a stadium just south of Soldier Field. They unveiled a plan for a stadium on the Lakefront in April but have failed to gain traction with local and state entities. The Bears’ Museum Campus plan calls for a $3.2 billion stadium and $1.5 billion in infrastructure.
Goodell cited the importance of having a state-of-the-art stadium, citing the home of Sunday’s Super Bowl, Caesars Superdome, as an example. The Superdome is the fifth-oldest active stadium — behind, among others, Soldier Field — and has held more Super Bowls than any other stadium.
If history is any indication, the Bears would likely receive one Super Bowl once they built a new stadium — but no more. Cold-weather cities with new parks have typically received one game but have not stayed in the league’s regular rotation.
Bears chairman George McCaskey said last month that he didn’t think the process of finding and funding a stadium was taking too long.
“These things take time,” he said. “We’re making progress. And we’re looking forward to a good result.”
